Charleston, SC: Classic cars rolling into capital

A yearly event in Charleston, SC. You've missed it this year, but mark it on your calendar for next year!

From DailyMail.com: Classic cars rolling into capital
CHARLESTON, W.Va. - The Charleston Boulevard Rod Run & Doo Wop will roar into town today, and city officials and event organizers are expecting the car show to grow significantly over last year's numbers.

At the start of this week, about 500 people had pre-registered their cars for the show, said Mark Wolford, vice president of the West Virginia Motorsports Festival. The organization is responsible for organizing the event.

Last year about 400 cars were pre-registered for the show, he said. Organizers are expecting about 1,000 cars this year, Charleston Assistant Mayor Rod Blackstone said.

Wolford said the growth of the classic car show has surpassed his expectations.

"Our goal was to get to 1,000 cars in 10 years," he said. "It's just really taken off."

This is the sixth year for the event.

Organizers can still pre-register at the Mardi Gras Casino and Resort at the cruise-in that starts at 6 p.m. today, Wolford said.

Those who don't sign up today can still do so starting at 8 a.m. Thursday on Kanawha Boulevard near Haddad Riverfront Park. The registration fee is $25 a car.

But Wolford said organizers hope people will register their vehicles tonight to reduce congestion on Kanawha Boulevard on Thursday morning.

"The people that are pre-registered can pull right in and get a spot," he said.

Parking spots for cars in the show are taken on a first-come, first-served basis.

The Rod Run & Doo Wop is the brainchild of Mayor Danny Jones. Jones, a well-known car enthusiast, said he was no longer surprised that the event continues to grow by leaps and bounds.

"I was surprised the first couple of years, but not any more," Jones said.

Jones said the idea to have the Rod Run & Doo Wop was based on nostalgia. He has been a car enthusiast since he was a teenager, he said.

"And I guess the idea for the Rod Run & Doo Wop came from my teenage years," Jones said. "I was hooked on cars then, and I'm hooked on cars now."

Jones believes the car show and events that surround it fill an entertainment vacuum in the area. There are few shows as large as the Rod Run & Doo Wop in the state or in the country, he said.

"As far as I know, we're the only city in the country that shuts down a four-lane road for a car show," he said.

Kanawha Boulevard will be closed to through traffic from Capitol Street to Clendenin Street starting at 6 p.m. today, Blackstone said.

The boulevard will be closed from Capitol Street to Ohio Avenue on the city's West Side beginning at 7 a.m. Thursday, Blackstone said.

One lane of westbound traffic will be open between Clendenin Street and Pennsylvania Avenue to allow people to access businesses in the area, he said.

The traffic closure will include the southbound right lane and sidewalk of the South Side Bridge at 10 a.m. Saturday. This will allow workers to prepare for the fireworks display.

At 5 p.m., the entire South Side Bridge will be closed to traffic, Blackstone said.

At 6 p.m., MacCorkle Avenue from Porter Road to U.S. 119 will be closed for the fireworks show.

Eastbound traffic from U.S. 119 will be allowed to get to Thayer and Ferry streets and up the ramp to the intersection of Bridge Road, Loudon Heights Road and the South Side Bridge until 9 p.m., Blackstone said.

However, traffic at that intersection will be permitted only to turn toward South Hills, he said.

At 9 p.m., Loudon Heights Road will be closed between Grosscup Road and the South Side Bridge. Thayer and Ferry streets will be closed to traffic in conjunction with the fireworks show, which will begin at 9:15 p.m.

Kanawha Boulevard should reopen to normal traffic sometime Sunday evening, Blackstone said.

"It really just depends on how long it takes to get all the vendors and people off the Boulevard," he said.

Blackstone said this marks the last time in 2011 that the boulevard will be shut down for an event of this magnitude.

Jones said he had heard complaints about closing the boulevard for the event.

"I know it's inconvenient, but there are alternative routes to take," he said. "And it's worth it because this brings a lot of people to our town."