Page 43 - Issue 50

BACK TO THE FIFTIES,
ST PAUL, MN
If you have not attended the
country’s largest car show – put this
one on your bucket list immediately.
It can be overwhelming at times
because of its size – hosting
upwards of 12,000 vehicles per year
along with hundreds of vendors
and what feels like bazillions of spectators – but it truly is an incredible event that
is well worth the experience. It’s held at the Minnesota State Fairgrounds (which
is pretty much a city in itself) and feels like a state fair, with cars. LOTS of cars.
And while there are thousands of classics, there is a very healthy population of
survivors, hot rods, and of course rats. During the three day event vehicles cruise
up and down the streets in a constant parade of eye-candy.

FRANKENSTEINER’S BALL,
RATCITY presented by the one and CAMBRIDGE MN
RUKKUS, only Dennis “Crabdaddy” The Ball is hosted by the famous
LAS VEGAS NV Landry. He coordinates Frankensteiner’s Car Club and is known
It’s hard to pick a several events, but this is for being a “Halloween-themed” event
where people dress up in costume and
clear-cut “favorite” the one that stands out candy is handed out. It helps that the
event from this list, with it’s signature fl ame- event is in October, but really, it’s just
but the Rukkus throwing, rubber-burning, a very welcoming kid-friendly show
is certainly a rocket-launching (yep, where you can step out of the norm
candidate. Held that actually happened,) and have a little fun. Some people refer
just south of crescendo of chaos to the event as a rat rod show, but it’s
downtown appropriately named the more of an anything goes mix of, well,
Vegas, the location Atomic Blast. Most of anything and everything. There are
is perfect for a Crab’s events have two always entertaining elements like burn
weekend getaway. Magazine staff and important elements: free-style burn out and pipe-rapping contests, and
friends plan their vacations around outs, and mini bike racing. These the show’s staple – a costume contest.
it, if that tells you anything. Hosted staples provide a lot of entertainment Those things, along with food music
by the Junkyard Pirates (one of the and bring out some of our favorite and an “end of the year” fi nality to it
most respected car clubs around) rat rod personalities – making this make this a wonderful show that we
this is a well-run event. Music, food, one (and all the “Crab Who?” events)
and… Vegas, baby. What more worth attending. attend every year.
could you want? There’s something
magical about this event that draws WRENCHFEST,
people from all over the world and ST LOUIS MO THE REDNECK RUMBLE,
after almost a decade it continues to Though it’s a LEBANON TN
fl ourish, and damnit – we love it. newer event, it You can’t mention rat
has exploded rod events without also
RATPALOOZA, THE VILLAGE AT THE ATOMIC BLAST, onto the scene mentioning the Rumble.
LAKE LAS VEGAS, HENDERSON NV GULFPORT MS with the energy One of the longest-
This one-time event was held at the tail end of the epic Oh, those crazy and vivacity running and largest
2012 Rat Rod Tour, and despite a sweltering hot day Cajuns… fi re, you’d expect rat rod-centered car
after over a week of grueling travel – this was one smoke, and from a St Louis shows in the country,
unforgettable show. The Village at Lake Las Vegas is all the chaos car show. Held it’s sprawling grounds
an absolutely stunning “village” of housing, shops, and we’ve come at the world hosts camping and a
casinos nestled along cobblestone streets that wind up and down perfectly manicured to know and famous Shady Jack’s Saloon right swap meet – drawing
hills – all along Lake Las Vegas. To say this was an unlikely setting for a rat rod show is an love from downtown, it’s one of the coolest participants from all
understatement, but somehow the whole thing worked and worked well. The village fi lled up our southern locations around. With music, food, over the US. Tennessee
so fast that there were long lines of vehicles waiting to get in, many diverted into overfl ow friends. Atomic and burn outs – it has all the bells is a hotbed of rat rod activity and this
parking. (This of course irritated some people, but is a testament to the awesome turnout.) Blast is a and whistles and a little extra rat event is almost like a yearly family
The most incredible moment during the show was when the entire place erupted in the spectacle of all rod oomph being one of our own reunion, with a really laid-back, fun,
revving of engines as attendees paid tribute to one of our fallen friends. casual atmosphere.
those things magazine-sanctioned events.

RATRODMAGAZINE.COM RAT ROD MAGAZINE 43

42x44top10.indd 43 6/19/18 10:29 PM