The Daytona Turkey Run has Cars by the Thousands

The Daytona Turkey Run in Florida is one of the largest combined car show and swap meets in the country, and it offers events and activities across the entirety of the Thanksgiving weekend, Wednesday through Sunday.  Staged in the infield of the Daytona International Speedway, the Turkey Run draws over 6,000 vintage and classic cars, street rods, race cars and trucks, and includes a Car Corral and more than 1,000 swap meet vendors.

A family-oriented “Artisan Alley” provides diversions for attendees who may not be as fully into cars as their spouses, and a range of car-related games and presentations give the event a “something for everyone” flavor.

The first Daytona Turkey Run, organized by the Daytona Beach Street Rods, took place in 1974, and drew 45 cars to a Howard Johnson’s hotel near the beach.  Deemed a success, the show grew, moving in 1982 from the HoJo to the Seabreeze High School and adding a swap meet.  By 1987 The Turkey Run was drawing more than 900 cars and was moved again, this time to a property adjacent to the Daytona Beach airport.

Just two years later, in 1989, the Daytona Turkey Run moved to its now-permanent home in the infield of the Daytona International Speedway.  At this time the show had grown to over 1,500 show quality cars and 250 swap meet vendors – it has quadrupled since then.

Given that cold weather is settling in across the northern states, the Daytona Turkey Run and its companion event each March bring thousands of gearheads south every year.  If you can get to Daytona Beach this weekend, check it out.