The Charleston Boulevard Rod Run & Doo Wop that was scheduled this fall for Sept. 30 through Oct. 4 in downtown Charleston, WV has been cancelled due to concerns of the pandemic.
President Jack Jarvis alerted our team, stating "There's no way we can meet all of the guidelines that have been put in place and host the show safely."
Indeed, the CDC and the local health department put out some pretty strong guidelines, some of which included cleaning restrooms after each use and enforcement of keeping crowds from touching public surfaces such as fences and benches. "We usually have about 100 volunteers each year, but we would have needed a workforce much larger than that to adhere to all of the guidelines.
There was also a problem with no entry/exit points to the popular event. As it stands, there are no gates for entry or exit as it is free for the public to attend, however, a complete overhaul of the geography of the event would have needed to be re-designed and preparations made much earlier in order to execute on time.
The Charleston Boulevard Rod Run & Doo Wop that is held annually in downtown Charleston, WV is one of the state's largest events and has consistently been a Top 10 Car Show in the country. This awesome event usually brings in between 1,000 and 1,500 collector cars and trucks from all over the country, and even some come from as far away as Canada.
"We really hated to cancel the show this year because so many people enjoy it from all walks of life, but it's just the responsible and safe thing to do," Jarvis continued.
Any individuals or vendors who pre-registered with either a collector vehicle space or a vendor space will be given a full refund.
Organizers of the Charleston Boulevard Rod Run & Doo Wop will begin making preparations for the 2021 event, slated for the same time next fall.
Shaun Smith, Vice President and Assistant Publisher for Auto Round-Up Publications agrees with Jarvis and his organizers, "I totally agree that it was the right decision. They put the people first and made safety a top priority. I mean, you're talking about 100,000 people essentially on one street. That's uncontrollable."
Smith also commented on his Auto Round-Up's relationship with the Charleston Rod Run & Doo Wop, “It is both wild and wonderful to see West Virginia compete on a national level with some of the big-time car show events throughout the country. I am very proud of the Doo Wop Team and what they stand for as it is certainly a class act, a super fantastic family outing and we are grateful to be a part of it all. We can't wait until next year's show!”