39 Years, One Final Roundup: The Story of Shades of the Past in Pigeon Forge
The Shades of the Past Hot Rod Roundup ran for 39 years — from a 1983 debut in Pigeon Forge that drew 1,000 cars when organizers expected 400, to a 2022 final show at Dollywood's Splash Country that Modern Rodding called one of the premier events in the country. It ended not because it declined, but because its venue situation changed and the organizers chose to close it on their own terms. Here's the full story — and what the fall Pigeon Forge automotive calendar looks like today.
