Riverside Chattanooga Spring 2017 Coverage
We are in a transition period in the south. Years ago we really only had a few options for events to attend. So we made the effort to attend every single event that was held in the region. The events got bigger, and people took the initiative to try and create their own event.
The idea was there, but the execution failed. We were exploited by the greedy wanting to pay a premium for a basic atmosphere and no value. You can not expect someone to pay $30 to hang out in a parking lot. We were hit by the groups from out of town looking to hold a big name in front of us in hopes to cash out and leave. Atlanta has the stigma of not showing for events, and not supporting anything that comes here. But the truth is we do not support junk, and we operate different, our scene is as large as any other region and willing to support if its worth anything.
Photos: Richard S @far.out.back & Joseph Dale @southrnfresh_joe
From the start Riverside Chattanooga was built on the idea of showcasing quality. The event gives a break from the hostile clutter fest of Import Alliance. And settles us down to what we really love.
We look to these events as vacations. We all work hard to prepare our vehicles to show. And prepare merchandise for our vendor booths. And the last thing we need is to come to a stressful unorganized event.
Typically IA is a season starter for us in Georgia. But the vibe from IA has changed a little over the years. It seemed that a lot of people chose to debut their new looks at Riverside this year. The atmosphere felt more like the start of the season. Typically with these events, the thrill of being at an event wear off after the first 2 hours. But throughout the day it felt like we were all hanging among friends.
Matt Smith’s C Class on GMR Wheels
Kevin Harris 1JZ Toyota Corona Wagon
Bobby Sanders Volkswagen CC
Allan’s Audi A4
Davis New’s 64 Impala
Johnny Le’s AMG Wagon
When I go to events, I always observe and take notes on how the show is being ran. And I can usually tell if things are hectic or if the staff has everything under control. Any event associated with this group is always hassle free, and I never see the staff break a sweat.
Matt Mummert’s Audi A6
James of Vipd Out Lexus LS460
Brendan Daniel’s LS400
Joshua’s Toyota Celsior
Amber’s galaxy S2000
CJ’s Nissan Skyline
RJ’s Subaru STI
Johnny Tsunami’s S200
The Beast Cobb and Atlanta Air Ride lineup starting with Ed’s BMW 1 Series.
Kevin Lam’s BMW M3
Charles Smith Civic Si
Josh Berger’ M3
Kurshid’s Lexus LS430 showing off his new SSR Koenig Monsters
The city as a whole was very inviting and eager to welcome us to the city everywhere we would go. Its nice to go to a city and feel welcome , instead of being automatically categorized with the immature stigma with automotive events.
William Tetro’s Twin Turbo Mazda RX7
Chris of DeftMotion Subaru STi
Special shout out to this guy (sorry i forgot your name). But I always see him at random events wearing the only gold chrome shirt we ever has made by another vendor at Southrnfresh 4 years ago. Cool to see these shirts pop up.
Sparky of Cloud 9 Audi RS4
The layout was split up between inside the pavilion and the outside lot. Last year it was more of a parking lot for the spectators. But this year it was full of some nice cars. That just did register early enough to get a spot inside the pavilion.
Will Bofill’s Golf
John Macca’s Hellcat Challenger
Braxton Witherspoon’s 370Z
Fiat 124 Spider on TE37 was a surprise.
Bryan Taylor’s Honda Accord with his new 20′ Work Equips
Mario Tran’s Supercharged Civic Si
CP’s Saab 9-5
Lanorris’ Supercharged Civic Si
Alex P’s Mazda Protege
I can not say enough to the Riverside Chattanooga team. They take pride in this event, and put a lot of time and effort into making it a joyful afternoon. It’s hard to believe that this event is free for spectators. I personally would like to see them charge a small fee for spectators, so they can make a few bucks and continue to grow the event. These events are expensive, and as they continue to grow the costs will increase. Anyone planning an event in the southeast take notes.
