
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Charleston’s Kanawha Boulevard will be transformed into a cruise back in time as approximately 1,000 classic cars park along the street for the 11th annual Charleston Rod Run and Doo-Wop car show. The event has evolved into one of the biggest car shows in the eastern United States.
“Thirteen states last year and one or two cars from Canada,” said show board member Randy Dameron. “We had one car from California. The owner was traveling across the country, heard about the show, and stopped by and stayed with us for three days.”
Weather is always the wild card, but this year the forecast couldn’t be better for the event which gets started Thursday morning. The Boulevard is the perfect place to showcase the nostalgia for gear heads from every era.
“People who live here probably don’t realize how beautiful the Boulevard is along the Kanawha River with those beautiful oak trees,” said Dameron. “The car enthusiasts want to park up against the curb and set up on the sidewalk in a lawn chair watching people walk by and talking about cars.”
The event starts on Thursday morning and runs until Sunday afternoon. It stretches from the South Side Bridge to Ohio Avenue a couple of blocks past Magic Island. There is entertainment each night on the stage at Haddad Riverfront Park and a fireworks show. Most car shows today are only two day events, but Dameron says Charleston’s show has become unique and likes to be a showcase of three and a half days.
“For the car enthusiast you can stroll up and down the boulevard checking out paint jobs, engines, and accessories and for everybody else there’s free entertainment there at Haddad Riverfront Park,” he said.
Charleston radio station KAZ-AM 680 will broadcast live on location throughout the event with cruising tunes and interviews with car owners and enthusiasts up and down the boulevard.