On April 2-3, 2010, the 39th Annual Easter Rod Run was held on the grounds of the Holiday Inn Hotel at the intersection of University Drive and Alafaya Trail in Orlando. Many participants took advantage of the accommodations at the Holiday Inn, staying overnight for the special car show rate. This came in handy since the event kicked off on Friday night with a party that started at around 7:30pm, and with a hotel room participants could stay thru the main event which was the car show on Saturday, along with a street party on Saturday night, with the 3-day event ending with coffee and doughnuts served in the hospitality room on Sunday morning. WJBJ Cruisin’ with the Classics DJs Butch and Jennifer Johnston provided entertainment throughout the weekend event.

We attended the main event on Saturday, and after the unusually cold Florida winter, it felt great to be outside all day with bright sunny skies and warm temperatures. Registration took place from 8:00am until 12:00 noon, and an envelope was given out at the registration table that included a dash plaque, schedule of events, along with an entry form for the poker walk, which took place around 1:00pm and paid out $10 for each joker drawn and $100 to the winner with the best hand. Door prizes were given out throughout the day, and other scheduled events included an Easter Egg Hunt for those 12 and under, and kids games were played along with a sidewalk art-coloring contest. The Easter Bunny also made the rounds, posing for pictures and visiting with the kids. Vendor’s tents were set up around the swap meet area, and inside a limited menu was available that included hot dogs, hamburgers and chicken sandwiches.

The car showed ended in the early afternoon with the car show participants gathering around WJBJ’s mobile studio, and the awards ceremony took place with several picks by the Easter Bunny, Long Distance awards for both an individual as well as a car club, along with a Hard Luck story award. Envelopes with cash were also given away, with prizes of $50, $100, $200 and $500 inside, plus the 50/50 drawing was held, with a payoff of $520 to the winner, along with the results of the guess the number of jelly beans in the jar contest. Once the awards distribution was complete, many stayed afterward to attend the Saturday Night Street party.

The 39th Annual Easter Rod Run is an annual event hosted by the Early Irons of Orlando, and is held to benefit the Russell Home for Atypical Children. If you would like to attend the 40th Annual Easter Rod Run next spring, check the Coming Attractions section of Mike Kelly’s Cruise News for a listing as the event draws closer. 40 years will mark a big milestone, and I’m sure it will be a heck of a celebration. CN