LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Thousands of people showed up at the Kentucky Expo Center Thursday for the first day of the Street Rod Nationals.
If you decide to attend, you'll see cars from near and far. People flock to Louisville from states like California, Pennsylvania, Missouri and Texas. The annual show is booked in Louisville through 2020.
Jim Savarino from Manteno, Illinois says, "What we like about coming here is seeing all the different cars and getting a lot of ideas when you want to build your own and how to build it."
Nearly 11,000 of the cars will take part in the four-day event at the Kentucky Expo Center. The show generates more than $13 million in economic impact for the city.
The Kentucky State Fair Board says it's working hard to bring back more big business after some serious hits recently.
"It's usually a five-day, $1,000 trip for us by the time you have hotel and fuel," Savarino says. "If you are buying parts, it's a lot more expensive."
"It's probably about a $1,500 trip something like that, not counting parts," says Jack Fulk from New Market, Virginia.
Of course, the Kentucky State Fair, which runs from August 16th through the 26th, always brings huge crowds.
But the Kentucky Expo Center has taken some big hits. Kentucky Kingdom shut down over a lease dispute, and after two close calls, there's still no new operator. U of L moved its basketball games to the KFC Yum Center, which the board no longer manages.
Linda Edwards, the Vice President of Sales for the Kentucky State Fair Board, says, "We are ramping up our sales efforts for Freedom Hall and Broadbent Arena. We have made lots of inroads. We have developed a lot of relationships with the promoters."
Street Rod National attendees say they love the facilities at the Expo Center and that's another reason why they keep coming back year after year.
Darlene Fulk says, "It's got AC, plenty of parking room. It's very clean, good place to come for a visit and spend a couple days."
Expect to see cars through Sunday around Louisville when the convention ends.
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