COLUMBUS, Ind. — Although most downtown Columbus events were canceled this summer, the 24th annual Hot Rods and Rock and Roll event will be back … without the rock and roll.
The Sept. 19 event, organized and sponsored by 106.1 The River, will not have its usual concert which was canceled due to COVID-19 pandemic concerns. Station manager Bob Morrison promised that Rick K and the Allnighters, who have performed at the event for more a decade, are scheduled to return next year.
“This was just done from a safety standpoint and trying to make sure that we could properly distance folks,” Morrison said. “And there just really isn’t a good way to do that, based on the exciting show that Rick normally puts on.”
Rich Anthony, event coordinator and 106.1 The River brand manager, said that during the car show, the radio station will be playing over a speaker system and broadcasting live from a tent on Fifth and Washington.
While live rock is on pause, the hot rods are still set to roll out. This year, the car show, which also includes trucks and motorcycles, will be limited to 160 vehicles, due to pandemic concerns. Anthony said that on a regular year, there are more than 300 vehicles.
The special event application for the annual car show was approved Tuesday by the Columbus Board of Works. Morrison said that the station also got their event plan approved by public health officials, whose main concern was “congregation.”
Board of works member Mary Ferdon commended Morrison and the city’s engineering department for working to make the event fit with city and state requirements.
Morrison thanked city officials, the Bartholomew County Health Department and the governor’s office for helping the station figure out how to bring back the event safely.
For more on this story, see Thursday’s Republic.
