Events: Smoky Mountain Classic Chevy Roundup Celebrates 40 Years
Scores of vintage Chevys headed to Pigeon Forge for May 19-21 event.
It all started back in 1976, when a group of East Tennessee residents decided to turn their love of 1955-1957 Chevy cars and trucks into an organized event. And now, a full four decades later, the Smoky Mountain Classic Chevy Club is set to do it all again on May 19 to 21. The 40th annual Smoky Mountain Classic Chevy Roundup will once again fill the parking lots of the Inn at Christmas Place in Pigeon Forge.
The legendary and long running event has a pretty familiar face in charge this year as well. Because 2017 marks Vicky McMurray‘s 38th appearance. “Back in the beginning, we had a 1956 Chevy,” McMurray tells The Daily Times. “We got involved in the club because my husband’s brother was in it. It was amazing to see all of those cars come in.”
Lovers of vintage Chevy iron come from all over the place to participate, some even as far as Canada. Roughly 160-200 cars are expected for this year’s event, most from the southeastern U.S. Even though most of the club’s members are in the 50+ age group, there’s plenty of eye candy for Chevy lovers of all ages.
But aside from gathering to drool over hundreds of special cars and trucks, the Smoky Mountain Classic Chevy Club also raises funds for deserving charities like the Blount County Special Olympics and Ronald McDonald House. The club has given away a total of $115,460 to deserving organizations so far.
That combination of enjoying beautiful rides and helping local charities is what keeps folks coming back. For her part, McMurray says she won’t stop participating until “it stops being fun.” By the looks of things, we doubt that day will ever come.
