The Spring Grand Rod Run in Pigeon Forge, TN is one of the “big 3″ car shows that takes place in Pigeon Forge each year….the other two being the Fall Grand Rod Run and Shades of the Past. This Pigeon Forge rod run is one of the largest in the nation as it draws thousands of visitors and classic hot rods for miles…literally! If you love muscle cars, you’ll need to pack a bib to catch all of your drool at the Pigeon Forge Spring Rod Run. Just about every make, model, and color of every muscle car made can be found at this Pigeon Forge car show. Vendors are also setup selling hard-to-find parts and accessories for classic hot rods as well. The bottom line is, the Pigeon Forge Spring Grand Rod Run is one of the biggest and best car shows to attend in all of the nation!
When is the Pigeon Forge Spring Rod Run?
The 2013 Spring Grand Rod Run Pigeon Forge takes place April 19-21, which is a Friday-Sunday. Many participants and visitors to the rod run arrive up to a week early…especially if hoping to enjoy various attractions, restaurants, etc in Pigeon Forge because everything stays packed during the Spring Grand Rod Run.
Where is this Pigeon Forge car show located?
The Pigeon Forge Grand Rod Run is “headquartered” at the Grand Resort Hotel & Convention Center located about halfway down the Pigeon Forge parkway. We say “headquartered” because that’s where the judging, prizes, vendors, etc are located. If you just want to see cars (and not participate), you’re better off just walking the parkway. You’ll say way more vehicles cruising and parked all up and down the Pigeon Forge parkway.
The address for the Grand Resort Hotel is:
Grand Resort Hotel
3171 Parkway
Pigeon Forge, TN 37863-3397
Here is a map where you can get directions:
View Larger Map
How do I enter my hot rod in the Spring Grand Rod Run?
If you plan to participate and register your vehicle in the Pigeon Forge Spring Grand Run, you can visit the links below to get to the official website and entry form for this Pigeon Forge car show. However, if you just want to cruise your car into town and get in the mix without winning prizes and such you can just ride on in. You can cruise the parkway or find parking spots along the street to park your ride so others can ooh and awe over it. You’ll find that many people do just this and even place “for sale” signs in their windshields… after all, there are thousands of potential buyers walking by each day!
Official website for the Spring Grand Rod Run:
http://www.rodrun-pigeonforge.com/
Official registration form for the 2013 Pigeon Forge Spring Grand Run:
http://rodrun-pigeonforge.com/images/images/rodruninhouseregformspring2013.pdf
Where should I sleep?
Sleep? What’s that? Okay, yes, sleep is good but you’ll find that many people at the Pigeon Forge Spring Rod Run seem to stay awake all weekend long! You’ll hear burnouts and roaring engines well into the wee hours of the morning…and I guarantee it’s not the local newspaper delivery guy. So if you want to catch some sleep during your visit, the organizers of the Spring Rod Run typically have partnerships with local hotels and motels for discounted rates. Click here to visit the Pigeon Forge Spring Grand Rod Run flier to see a list of affiliated hotels and their contact information.
Another option is to stay off the parkway in a private cabin and enjoy things like hot tubs, fireplace, multiple rooms, etc. It’s a great option especially when with traveling with other people to split the cost for a great cabin rental! We have a guide on some of the best cabin rental companies in Pigeon Forge to help you pick the perfect place to stay.
A word of advice about lodging:
There are a couple of things to take into consideration when choosing lodging:
- Do you want to sleep right in the middle of the action and possibly hear squealing tires, roaring engines, people partying, music blaring, etc while you try to sleep? If so, the show’s partner hotels and motels will probably work just fine for you. It’ll at least allow you to wake up and walk out your door and be right in the mix each day without fighting traffic to get to the action.
- Would you rather get more peaceful sleep away from the parkway and all the noise? If so, we’d strongly consider other Pigeon Forge lodging options such as a cabin available from numerous cabin rental companies in the area. A cabin would mean you likely won’t have many people nearby, which would cut down on noisy neighbors and such. Besides, who knows…maybe you plan on being the noisy neighbor! Either way, it’s typically more “peaceful”.
There’s not really a right or wrong choice on whether to sleep in a hotel on the parkway or a cabin a couple miles away. It just comes down to personal tastes…and actually wanting sleep!
Does it cost anything to attend as a spectator
If you would like to visit the official show location at the Grand Hotel to see the vehicles, vendors, etc we are told there will be a $10 fee that gives you access all weekend at the show location. This is your best opportunity to see the show cars that are typically towed and parked (not cruising the parkway). Parking will be available in the nearby Pigeon Forge municipal parking lot with shuttles running daily to and from the Grand Hotel.
However, if you simply want to see the vehicles cruising during the Spring Rod Run in Pigeon Forge, you can simply sit or walk along the sidewalk on the parkway to see tons of action. Many people setup lawn chairs along the parkway and just watch hot rods cruise by all day and night. If you plan on doing that, we highly suggest not leaving your lawn chairs unattended. Yes, you may lose your spot, but you may also lose your chairs if you leave them…it’s been known to happen. If you want to take that chance, then we suggest taking chairs that you don’t car to lose!
Also, if you plan to sit along the parkway then be aware that you’ll be exposed to the sun…and it burns. So take whatever is necessary to avoid that. Whether it’s sunscreen, hat, umbrella, etc just be prepared.
What about food?
Many visitors of the Pigeon Forge Rod Run bring their own food and snacks…especially the repeat visitors, because they know how busy the restaurants can get. If you plan to eat out, either plan to get fast food or try to call ahead to a restaurant to see if their either take reservations or call-ahead seating. Wait times during lunch and dinner at many restaurants throughout the weekend average over an hour. Again, just be prepared.
How is the traffic?
The weekend of the 2013 Pigeon Forge Spring Rod Run (or any Pigeon Forge car show) is not a good time to “be in a hurry”. If you visit Pigeon Forge during a car show weekend, then do not plan to be anywhere at a certain time…unless you’re walking and know how fast you can walk. Seriously. Visitors call it a car show parade. Locals call it gridlock. A person in a motorized wheelchair with the batteries dying will probably beat a car from one end of the parkway to the other. Okay, that’s a bit of an exaggeration, but just know that the traffic flow…is…well…slow. But the scenery is spectacular..so relax and enjoy it!
What kind of vehicles will I see?
You can expect to see a wide variety of muscle cars at the Spring Grand Run in Pigeon Forge. If it has an engine and growls like a ticked-off grizzly, it’s probably cruising the strip during the Pigeon Forge Rod Run. Below is a video slideshow that a visitor created so you can get an idea of what types of vehicles roll into town.
Pigeon Forge Rod Run Video
Final Thoughts
The Pigeon Forge Spring Grand Rod Run is one of the largest events to take place in Pigeon Forge, TN all year long. It’s definitely something to witness if you have any interest in muscle cars. Just be sure to plan for travel time, lodging, eating, and weather to make your visit as enjoyable as possible. Also, charge those camera batteries as there are thousands of photo opportunities!
If there is any info that we haven’t covered, let us know in the comment section below. We want this to be the ultimate guide to the 2013 Spring Grand Rod Run in Pigeon Forge TN as we’ve covered the most asked questions that locals tend to get about this Pigeon Forge car show!
It really does take a long time in traffic last week I was trying to find a hotel with rooms but they were all full except the grand hotel so ill see if they cleaned up their act and know I know not to wait till the last minute
Hi Melissa, I hope your stay and your visit goes well! Have fun and thanks for sharing a comment!
I just returned from a trip to pigeon forge and was informed that the Grand Resort was in foreclosure. Will the 2013 Spring Rod run be held at the new LeConte convention center?
The Grand Resort has actually been sold and the new owners are claiming to still host the Spring Grand Rod Run in 2013, but we’ll definitely update this post if that changes.
The Grand hotel is currently under renovation (it is literally being torn apart as we speak) and will not be available for booking until the fall from what we are hearing here in Pigeon Forge….
I was in Pigeon Forge this past weekend (04/20/13) and saw autos with beads around the outside mirrors – what does this mean? Thank you!
I was @ the rod run as we have for 13 years and was wondering if somebody could assist with an inquiry. I purchased some sandpaper from a vendor at the show that was located just inside the main room. I would like to order more paper but can’t find his card. Any help would be appreciated.
Hi Dwight,
You may have some luck contacting the show promoters at the phone number listed on their flyer at: 865-687-3976. They may know exactly who the vendor was and how to contact them.
Good luck!
When is spring show in 2013?
April 19-21. We’ve now updated this article with the 2013 dates and links to registration forms.
It would sure help me out, and probably thousands of others, to know your dates a year in advance so we can make plans. There are so many things I need to put on my calender in April and September but want to make sure I have you down first. Can you get them out an earlier?
Hi Janice,
We don’t operate these shows, so we just relay info from the official sites as we get them. Fortunately, they recently posted the 2013 dates, which are April 19-21 and we’ve now updated this article with the correct info.
Have fun planning! :)
Always 3rd weekend of april and september
What hotel/venue etc. is going to be ground zero since Grand Resort bit the dust?
Great question! We’re being told that the new owners are planning to still have the 2013 Grand Rod Runs at the Grand Resort, but if that changes we will definitely update the information on our site as well as through our email newsletters that we send out.
How can I get on the email newsletter so I can keep up to date on the events in Pigeon Forge? We come to Tennessee at least 3 times a year. Thanks , Barbara
Hi Barbara,
You can sign up for our free email newsletter on the right side of this page where it says “Get our free e-newsletter”.
Thanks!
So did the Spring show change weekends this year?
This is an AWESOME event! We go to the Spring and Fall Rod Run. We always stay at the Music Road Hotel and I highly recommend it! It is off of the main drag but still close enough to walk anywhere you want to go. Always more cars than you will have time and energy to see but GREAT deals to be had!! Traffic is very heavy so bring a bike, scooter, golf cart or GOOD SHOES!
We’re coming down for the Spring Rod Run. We want to park our new Camaro on the parkway for all to see. We are staying in a cabin, and will most likely not be in town all day. Where would you suggest we park that is close to Wears Valley Rd?
If you are not into this, DO NOT go to Pigeon Forge during a Rod Run. Traffic is horrendous. It took us over 3 hours to move a few miles. We headed into Gatlinburg for the evening and needed to get back to our cabin. Needless to say, we had to drive towards Cades Cove and go the round about way to get where we needed to go. Traffic is a nightmare and we found ourselves very frustrated. We had no idea it was going on and had planned a Spring Break Trip. We love the area, just not during a Rod Run. The warnings on traffic are not strong enough. Walk where you need to go and don’t drive. Its not worth the headache or the gas you will burn to sit in traffic.
How far is it from the Holiday Inn Pigeon Forge ? Do they allow u to drink alcohol if u r sitting in a chair along the road ?
I was just wondeing if the Howard Johnson Inn is a good place to stay? We want to be in the middle of the action :)
we r planning on coming to the rod run this spring. i want to stay in PF, but because we own a time share in gatlingburg my husband thinks we need to stay there. is it a wise thing to try to drive into PF or should he just listen to me and get a room in PF?
I stay in gatlinburg a lot of time for the rod run also so I can relax in peace after several hours of cruising. If you know the backroads back and forth that is the best way to go.
i hate it when i make plans to come and see the cars at rod run and you change the dates and not tell us after we make the trip to see the cars i was mad and said i wouldn’t come back but my grandson love the cars so i’ll try one more time
we were at the “shades of the past” last fall..loved it!this year we will be at the spring rod run..is the econo lodge at 2440 parkway a good place to stay,,to be in the middle of the action?
Is there a schedule of events? My husband and I are coming down for the event and have never been before.
Thanks
We just came back from Pigeon Forge and the Grand Resort is in the midst of a full blown reconstruction. The outside facade is off the building and a lot of equipment in the parking lot and the entire area roped off. I was just wondering about any updates concerning events scheduled there. Thanks.
Does The Convention Center Have Any Entertainers During The 3 Day Show At There Venue?
Are there rules, regulations, laws etc on the use of electric golf carts on the public streets of Piegon Forge during the Rod Run.
My husband and I are planning on being there this year. This will be our first one and looking forward to it! My question is, are golf carts ok to ride around on in town? Also, what are the policies concerning alcohol consumption? Thanks, Teresa
is it possible to be a vendor at this event?
We just shelled out almost $500 for a room so we could take our car to the rod run. When are they going to clamp down on car dealers bringing 10-15 cars up there to sell and taking all the parking places
I agree with that it has turned into a junk car parking lot that’s why I switched to the shades of the past show in September
Will there be a shuttle bus running from the Belle Isle parking lot to the Convention Center for the Grand Rod Run? If not, will the trolly service be running to the N. River Road area? I know that parking is going to be limited due to the reconstruction of the hotel itself, but are there any suggestions for parking and just walking around or to the convention center?
Is this something you can bring children too? They are 4 and 5. I’ve heard good and bad things, just needed to know from someone who had the right info.