MAKING NOISE IN FT. SMITH, ARKANSAS

If you haven’t heard of Slamily Reunion Car, Truck & Bike Show yet, consider yourself seriously deprived. Simply put, you’ve been missing out on one of the best shows in the Midwest. Presented by Custom Motor Concepts, this show, based out of Fort Smith, Arkansas, is hotly anticipated by builders and automotive lovers alike, not just because of its quality, but also due to the fact that it’s the last show of summer for many.

This year marked the seventh annual Slamily Reunion. It’s easy to see why this tradition carries on year after year with the abundance of detailed builds in all styles from lifted to lowered rolling in and around the Fort Smith, Arkansas Fairgrounds. Spectators had hours of walking ahead of them to cover this large show. With everything from classic hot rods to lowriders to massive lifted trucks, ’bagged and bodied trucks and so much more, if someone left this show without a sunburn on this 90-plus°F weekend, they probably didn’t see every build.

The family-friendly show features activities like coloring contests for the kids, races to chug a full gallon of iced tea and other activities to keep the day interesting if hours of drooling over trucks isn’t quite enough. The judging categories demonstrate the wide range of diversity that Slamily Reunion offers attendees. Awards were given to Best of Show, Best Truck, Best Mini, Best SUV, Best Lifted, Best Car, Best Rat Rod, Best Paint, Best in Progress, the Top 100 (and yes, they literally give awards to the top 100 builds at this show) and many others as well. Also, a large variety of vendors were in attendance as well. Custom Motor Concepts, American Force Wheels, Slosh Tubz, Solo Films, White Trash Ballin’, Mad Gear, KIK, Gooch Pinstriping and plenty of food trucks.

The only thing more welcoming than the staff of the show was the city of Fort Smith. Populated by the vehicles and owners attending the show, most cities would be annoyed and send out extra police officers to patrol the streets, but Fort Smith businesses, hotels and the sparse police presence demonstrated nothing but love and respect for the show. Whether on two wheels or four, lifted sky high or body dropped to the ground, candy paint or rusted patina, Slamily Reunion is a must-attend show that should be on everyone’s calendars for years to come.