Flemings’ Annual Pumpkin Run welcomes all car enthusiasts, gearheads and festivalgoers from across the region to line up at Flemings Auto Parts in Egg Harbor Township on Nov. 1. This year, the show will include a Toys for Tots collection, WOND Radio broadcasts, food trucks, a flea market, the on-site museums, and acres of classic and unique cars.
If you have never heard of the Pumpkin Run, then buckle up for the biggest one-day car palooza you’ve ever seen. Growing up, it was an annual tradition to set up chairs at the end of the street and watch all the hot rods and classic cars buzz down Zion road. There isn’t a 5K or any actual run: just miles and miles of cars along with things you’ve never seen like steam engines, hit and miss engines, vintage race cars, all the cars in the junkyard’s car “graveyard,” artifacts, and so much more.
Billed as one of the biggest car shows on the East Coast, the Pumpkin Run has grown remarkably over the years. “I think the first car show had maybe 25 cars,” said Public Relations Director Rick Broschard. “It was just a ring of cars, and every year it grew a little more.”
Today, the show draws vehicles from across the country, from race cars to muscle cars, and hot rods to vintage trucks.
An extensive team of dedicated volunteers makes the Pumpkin Run possible, spending days raking leaves, cleaning the grounds, and organizing the vast array of collectibles. Walking through the property is like stepping back in time. Fleming’s features a restored old diner with gleaming chrome, vintage gas stations, and an array of antique signage, including a massive “James Salt Water Taffy” barrel and the iconic “Zaberville” sign.
Beyond the cars, the Pumpkin Run offers unique sights at every turn. Visitors can browse flea market stalls for rare car parts, or wander through Fleming’s museums, which are filled with memorabilia, photos, and pieces from Atlantic City Speedway. My personal favorite, the pumpkin chunkin’, is a high-power air compressor that will blast pumpkins as fast as lightning towards a double-decker bus.
Since the 1990s, Flemings has hosted this one-of-a-kind car, antique engine and tractor show. It all began when founder Harry Fleming and his friend Ralph Broschard returned from a Pennsylvania car show with a simple idea: “We can do that!”
The junkyard comes to life one day a year, and you don’t want to miss it. Where can you listen to music, eat wings, buy a stop sign, see an operating saw mill, take a photo with a steam-powered engine, and get all your steps for the day in? The one and only Fleming Pumpkin Run!
For more information, visit flemingspumpkinrun.com or follow them on Facebook at facebook.com/flemingspumpkinrun
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