classic cars cruise into cherokee

Cherokee, N.C.  What do you get when you combine the most scenic drive in North Carolina and more than 500 of the nation’s hottest looking classic cars? The highly anticipated, ‘Cruise the Smokies’ Fall Cherokee Rod Run. More than 3,000 car enthusiasts will turn out for the Southeast’s premiere Rod Run from October 31 - November 2, at the Cherokee Indian Fair Grounds. Gates will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, and 9 a.m. until noon on Sunday.

Spectator admission is $5 each day of the event and is free for children age six and under. The event is sponsored by Cherokee Travel and Tourism. Registration for the event is open to pre-1972 vehicles or highly modified late model vehicles. Vehicle registration is $40 at the event. Registered vehicles are eligible for cash drawings totaling $15,000.

The Rod Run, also held each spring in Cherokee, features a busy vendor area, swap meet, and daily entertainment. Cherokee’s many cultural attractions and proximity to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the Blue Ridge Parkway make the Rod Run an event the entire family can enjoy. Event sponsored by Harrah’s Casino. For more information, visit www.cherokee-nc.com or call (828) 438-1601.

Cherokee, N.C., was the 2006 Travel Attraction of the Year as named by the Southeast Tourism Society. Cherokee’s cultural attractions include the Museum of the Cherokee Indian, interpreting the tribe’s history in the Southern Appalachian Mountains; ‘Unto These Hills’ Outdoor Drama, the story of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians staged each summer in the open-air Mountainside Theatre; Oconaluftee Indian Village, a living representation of a 1700s Cherokee village; and the Qualla Arts and Crafts Mutual, Inc., showcasing traditional and contemporary crafts and fine art by Eastern Band members.