Cherokee Fall Rod Run

The Cherokee Rodders have run the Cruise the Smokies Rod Run twice a year for decades, and the fall show is the bigger of the two. Expect hundreds of pre-1986 cars and trucks, a good share of them driven in from several states away, along with parts vendors, food vendors, live music and a 450 horsepower crate motor sitting in the middle of it waiting for somebody’s raffle ticket.

A New Home for the Fall Show

For 2026 the Rod Run moves off the Harrah’s Cherokee campus and onto the Cherokee Expo Center grounds at 1501 Acquoni Road, the site locals still call the old high school and the same place that hosts the Cherokee Indian Fair. The club is calling it scaling up. For anyone who came in past years, the practical difference is room: show parking spreads across an asphalt lot and out onto the old football field, with separate space for trailers and  spectator vehicles.

Getting In and What It Costs

Spectator entry is free both days, with no ticket to buy in advance. That makes it an easy stop to build a Saturday morning around, even with people in the car who might only last an hour.

If you are bringing a car to show:

• $35 pre-registration online, open until roughly two weeks before the show
• $40 at the gate once pre-registration closes
• One fee covers the whole event, there are no single-day entries
• Vehicles must be 1985 or older unless the club approves them ahead of time

Registered entrants collect a goodie bag at the red registration trailer with poker cards, a Friday meal ticket and the agenda inside.

What Happens Each Day

Thursday is the warm-up. Onsite registration opens at noon next to an Early Bird Show, where cars already parked get voted on and go into their own cash and door prize drawings, and an evening cruise leaves the grounds at 5:00 pm.

Friday and Saturday are the main event, gates at 8:30 am. Friday brings the poker cruise, a scenic drive around the Cherokee area with five stops where drivers draw a card. Best hand and worst hand both take cash. Friday evening there is a thank you dinner for registered participants, catered by K&B of Bryson City.

Saturday trades the drive for a poker walk around the grounds and adds the two things worth timing your visit around: valve cover racing, which is exactly as ridiculous and fun to watch as it sounds, and the model car contest, judged in kids, youth and adult divisions. Trophy winners and the last cash giveaways come at 4:00 pm.

Raffles, Merch and Prizes

Tickets for the crate motor and tool box raffles are sold at the event merchandise trailer, along with 50/50 tickets and the event shirts. The shirts are not sold online or in advance and they do sell out. You have to be present to collect cash prizes. Raffle winners do not, but the ticket needs contact information on it and prizes have to be picked up within a week.

Before You Go

Everything here is outdoors and the show runs rain or shine, so dress for a mountain October rather than for the forecast at home. The site is accessible throughout with accessible parking next to the show grounds, though the club does not rent mobility scooters. If you buy something large from a vendor and need to load it, check in at the front gate first.