Whether you drive a Volkswagen or just appreciate their design, are restoring a car or ready to show your VW off in a car show, you'll want to stop by Camp Jordan Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 16-17, for Swap-a-Paluza. The event will be held in the RV park at Camp Jordan from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday.
Swap-a-Paluza is a VW swap meet sponsored by Scenic City Volks Folks and car show sponsored by Stateline Wagens. This is the fourth swap meet sponsored by the Volks Folks, who also put on the big Bug-a-Paluza at Camp Jordan each spring. This event was an outgrowth of Bug-a-Paluza says Nick von Werssowetz, Volks Folks member.
"Bug-a-Paluza is work-heavy for our volunteers. Members realized they didn't get to enjoy that event due to the amount of work it involved. We wanted to put on something similar that was more low-key; a way to get VW enthusiasts together other than the car show," he says.
VW enthusiasts can buy, sell or swap parts and may camp overnight for free in tents, RVs or their VW vans.
Admission to the swap meet is free. There is a $5 entry fee into the car show sponsored by Stateline Wagens. Proceeds will benefit the Chattanooga Area Food Bank.
Along with some specialty awards, the top 15 rides in the car show will receive trophies. These are chosen by People's Choice votes. There are also contests in the car show such as Low-Car Limbo and Stack Your Rack, in which the owner who can vertically stack items highest in a car's roof rack wins.
"This event is nowhere near the scope or scale of Bug-a-Paluza, but people come from out-of-town for it," says von Werssowetz. "It's a good way to keep the local VW scene engaged."