A four-wheeled feast: Top 5 things to know about Daytona's 49th Annual Fall Turkey Run

DAYTONA BEACH – Forget football and holiday parades.

For classic-car lovers, the highlight of Thanksgiving weekend is always the mammoth buffet of chrome, carburetors and custom cars at the annual Fall Turkey Run at Daytona International Speedway. This year’s edition, the 49th annual, unfolds Nov. 24-27 in the Speedway’s massive infield.

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Despite the impact of back-to-back tropical storms, interest in this year’s automotive feast is as passionate as ever, said James Richards, the event’s director of marketing and public relations.

“Interest is super-strong,” he said. “If you go on Facebook, on our event page, you’ll see thousands of people per day on there. There were 5,000 people looking at the post I did this morning.”

Not that the effects of tropical storms Ian and Nicole aren’t on people’s minds, he said.

“A lot of people were worried about the impact of the storm,” he said. “We’ve been getting a lot of calls about the weather and whether hotels on the beachside are OK.”

To help answer those questions, the Turkey Run website offers a list of available hotel options provided by the Daytona Beach Area Convention & Visitors Bureau.

More than 155,000 gearheads attended last year’s Thanksgiving weekend event, one of two annual Turkey Runs that include a sister event in the spring. So, if you’re going, expect plenty of company.

Here are the Top 5 things to know, see and do at the Turkey Run:

When does Fall Turkey Run happen?

The Turkey Run rolls throughout Thanksgiving weekend in the infield at Daytona International Speedway, 1801 W. International Speedway Blvd., Daytona Beach. Hours are 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Thursday-Saturday; 8 a.m.-2 p.m. Sunday.

What’s admission for Fall Turkey Run?

Admission at the gate is $20 daily Thursday-Saturday; $15 on Sunday.  Ages 11 and under are free.

How many cars are at Fall Turkey Run?

Over 5,000 collector cars will be on display at the event’s car show in the eastern portion of the Speedway infield. In addition, another 1,500 collectible vehicles will be showcased for sale or trade in the event’s Car Corral.

What about accessories and merchandise?

More than 1,500 vendors will be selling every imaginable classic-car part or accessory in the event’s daily swap meet, everything from camshafts to towlines. Out from under the hood, an array of handcrafted décor, trinkets, T-shirts and other fashion statements will be for sale in the Artisan Alley.

Will there be celebrities?

Absolutely. Joe and Mandi Martin, of MotorTrend TV’s “Iron Resurrection,” will stop for meet-and-greets from 9 a.m.-noon and 1-4 p.m. Friday and Saturday at the Hub, near the center of the event.

Also, Cristy Lee, of MotorTrend’s “All Girls Garage,” will host a meet-and-greet from noon-4 p.m. Saturday at the event’s Hops & Hoods Beer Fest. So, yes, there also will be beer, too.

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: 2022 Fall Turkey Run at Daytona International Speedway: 5 things to know