Home Local News Planning continues for Hops and Hot Rods at the Rock

Planning continues for Hops and Hot Rods at the Rock

Beer is poured into a cup at Hoptoberfest 2019.
RO file photo

ROCKINGHAM — Organizers have released a few more details about the upcoming Hops and Hot Rods at the Rock event — an effort to preserve the legacy of the recently canceled Hoptoberfest.

The event is being hosted Oct. 7 by Richmond County Economic Development “at the request of local businesses, citizens and elected officials,” according to a press release issued Friday afternoon.

The release states that a meeting was held this week — after the Richmond County Chamber of Commerce announced that it was canceling Hoptoberfest — featuring officials from the city of Rockingham, the county, RC Economic Development, Richmond County Tourism, and Tim Hayden and Terry Lewis to “discuss the future of the beloved craft beer festival.”

Click here to read about the reasons stated for the cancelation.

Economic Developer Martie Butler said RCED and the Chamber partner on multiple events, so it’s natural that the festival was transition to the former.

“We are at our best when we work as a team to support the things the community wants,” Rockingham Mayor John Hutchinson said in the release. “I was pleased to see this committee come together to preserve this fall tradition of ours.”

Jeff Smart, chairman of the Richmond County Board of Commissioners, and County Manager Bryan Land said in a joint statement: “We are both extremely excited about the new event! It excites us to see the teamwork and partnerships between the multiple organizations and our community. We came together quickly and stepped up to continue this festival which was loved by our citizens.”

Hoptoberfest was started by the Chamber in 2015 and was held in the parking lot of Richmond Plaza for several years. But as the event grew, it was moved to Rockingham Dragway in 2019.

The event was canceled in 2020 due to government restrictions and health concerns regarding the COVID pandemic, but bounced back in 2021, reportedly drawing a crowd of 1,800. Last year’s event was pushed back a week because of weather.

Click here to see photos of the 2022 Hoptoberfest.

“Our Chamber has done a phenomenal job of creating the festival and growing it to well over 1,000 attendees and vendors,” Butler said. “We appreciate their hard work through the years and hope to build upon their success. Hosting a festival of this magnitude requires a significant amount of time, effort, funding and most importantly support from the community.”

The new festival will incorporate many of the elements of Hoptoberfest, including the craft beer tasting and chicken wings.

One of the biggest changes is the venue: from Rockingham Dragway to Rockingham Speedway.

“This change was not at the request of Rockingham Dragway, in fact they have graciously donated their facility and countless resources for the past two years and were excited to continue this year,” Butler said. “As we pivot to a new streamlined format, the infrastructure at Rockingham Speedway will be more conducive. Much of the event will be hosted in the garage area, which allows the event to take place rain or shine.”

Butler added that there will be no need to bring in additional lighting, sound systems, temporary fencing, festival tents or port-a-john rentals, resulting in saving monetary and time costs.

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Another major addition is the cruise-in.

“Motorsports is in the fabric of Richmond County and what better place for car clubs to showcase their passion than at a Speedway,” Butler said. “There will not be a competition — merely a cruise-in type event from motor clubs across the Sandhills. This is a low-cost addition which will give attendees an additional activity during the event.”

The wing competition has been eliminated, but Butler said organizers have been in contact with local food truck operators to offer wing samples in addition to selling their normal menu items.

With a limited amount of time to plan the event, organizers have also eliminated the VIP section and related tickets.

However, regular tickets should be on sale in the coming days and are expected to be slightly cheaper than in previous years.

“Fundraising will not be the focus — our priority is on a quality-of-life event, tourism and (a) community festival which pays for itself and gains momentum for years to come,” Butler said.

“I am very excited to, again, see the unshakable resiliency of Richmond County residents,” said Tourism Director Meghann Lambeth. “Although it has been a little stressful and super-fast-paced this week, it’s also been heartwarming and encouraging.

“Continuing to showcase our county’s top employer, Perdue, with the new inclusion of providing an opportunity for the amazing food trucks in our community to be acknowledged and involved as integral partners, and the addition of a cruise-in are just a few of the aspects that make this extraordinary, collaborative effort such a point of pride for Richmond County!”

While the festival itself won’t serve as a fundraiser, Butler said RCED’s annual Raffle at the Rock will be a part of the event, with prizes including a Kawasaki Mule, Polaris 4-wheeler and Carolina Panthers tickets.

Prior to this event being organized, Butler had intended to move the raffle to the annual industry appreciation oyster roast later in the month.

In addition to ticket sales, information on event sponsorships will be available in the near future.

Organizers are also asking for volunteers.

“More information will be released as we solidify our plans,” Butler said. “We appreciate everyone’s patience and support as we move forward growing this event for Richmond County.”



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