The weekend in Gatlinburg was supposed to be a celebration of unique builds, time spent on building them, and the kind of parking-lot storytelling that defines car culture. Instead, it became a case study in how quickly a car meet can spiral. Slammedenuff, an event created to show off the best DIY modifiers, was a highly anticipated event, with previous years' iterations remembered well by participants. But by the time the final day arrived, city officials had shut it down entirely, citing public safety concerns that stretched local agencies beyond their limit.
What changed the tone of the weekend was not the official event but what spawned from it. Independent meet-ups, takeover-style street gatherings, and crowds that grew far beyond what any organizer could have anticipated flooded the streets. Parking lots and gas stations looked more like a block party at max capacity than a place of business. Cars raced down the roads like someone had let loose a pack of hounds. Not to mention the fights and reports of property damage. Entire city blocks were effectively shut down due to the unimaginable influx of people.
By Monday morning, the wake of the event felt more akin to a riot than a car meet. Police in Gatlinburg had responded to around 1,397 service calls, compared to a normal weekend average closer to 300. Citations and arrests followed, along with dozens of traffic incidents and injuries.
Many longtime enthusiasts were just as frustrated as the locals. They came to show and see cars created from a dream and a home garage, connect with friends, and participate in one of the most iconic events in Tennessee. Instead, they watched the worst stereotypes of the car community unfold in front of them. Organizers of Slammedenuff disowned the impromptu city takeover and acknowledged that the event may not be run again.
Passion for cars is something incredible to see. It pushes people to take time out of their days to drive, fix, and modify the cars they love. It brings so many people together from all over every weekend just to look and talk about each other's cars. Most people see it as crazy, but to us it's a highlight of our week. But all this good is offset by the potential dangers that happen once that passion turns in on itself. All it takes is one slip-up for an event to be branded as unsafe, and this event is an example of what happens if these slip-ups become contagious and go unchecked. It’s another episode of the same story, like when Charlotte had to shut down Cars and Coffee and move it to Concord.
It’s a reminder that when we come together, we represent that event and the people who created it. You don’t go into your friend's house for a friendly gathering and leave tire marks in the living room or make it a full house party where the cabinets get thrown over. Nobody gives another invite to that friend. The hosts are the magnets that help bring us all together, and to continue having events, we have to treat their space with respect. These events are worth protecting for all the joy that comes from them, because without them, it's not much of a community.