Classic muscle cars, modern rides, and pickup trucks will roll into the parking lot at Foothills Mall in Maryville this weekend as Muscle Car Ministries presents its 13th Annual Maryville Auto Fest Cruise-In, a two-day gathering that organizers expect will draw close to 200 vehicles while raising money for local affordable housing efforts.
The event runs Friday from 5 to 9 p.m. with no cost to participate, followed by the main show Saturday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., with cars starting to arrive as early as 7 a.m., according to The Daily Times. Saturday entry costs $20, and the show welcomes all makes and models across categories including classic, muscle, trucks, and modern rides. Frank Chamberlain, an organizer of the cruise-in, can be reached at 865-567-2835 for those with questions.
The cruise-in is staged near the mall's BJ's Wholesale Club, at a shopping center that has been reshaping itself in recent years. Foothills Mall opened in 1983 as Blount County's only enclosed regional mall and was acquired by real estate firm Time Equities Inc. in 2017 as part of a $53.5 million multi-property deal, according to Commercial Property Executive. The property has since added big-box tenants and, as Hoodline could get Crunch gym soon, is continuing to shift toward experiential retail.
A Tool Box Grand Prize and a Bibles-and-Bumpers Ministry
Sponsor NAPA is putting up a Carlyle tool box valued at $3,000 as the event's grand prize. The Carlyle line represents NAPA Auto Parts' professional mechanic tool storage line, built with heavy-duty steel frames, integrated power strips, and high-capacity drawer slides designed for shop-level use, per NAPA Auto Parts.
Muscle Car Ministries, the event's host, is headquartered on Peach Orchard Road in Maryville and describes itself as a faith-based nonprofit that partners with local churches to host car shows, distribute Bibles, and raise charitable funds. Earlier this summer, on August 15, the ministry led its “Taming the Dragon” cruise from Rio Revolution Church in Maryville through Tapoco Lodge and the Cherohala Skyway, part of what CarCruiseFinder describes as a regular schedule of scenic group drives and automotive gatherings the ministry runs across the region.
Habitat ReStore Sets Up Shop Alongside Food Trucks
Food trucks and vendors will line the cruise-in alongside a pop-up sale from the Blount County Habitat ReStore, which will sell car-related items at the event. The ReStore's permanent location sits at 548 Foothills Plaza Drive, directly adjacent to the mall property, where it normally sells donated furniture, appliances, and building materials to generate revenue for Habitat's housing programs, according to Blount County Habitat for Humanity.
The cruise-in has raised money for Blount County Habitat for Humanity every year it has been held, and this year's proceeds will again support the organization. Headquartered on Hampshire Drive in Maryville, the nonprofit provides new home construction, home repair programs, mortgage packaging, and financial mentoring to low-income residents, with homeownership applicants contributing sweat-equity hours alongside volunteers before purchasing homes through interest-free mortgages.
Rising Home Prices Add Weight to the Cause
The fundraising push comes as housing costs in Blount County have climbed sharply. The median property value in the county reached $320,500 in 2024, a 16.2% single-year increase, according to U.S. Census Bureau data compiled by Data USA. Homeownership in the county stands at 77%, even as property values have surged, underscoring the kind of affordability pressure that Habitat's local programs are designed to address.
Habitat's footprint in Blount County dates back further than the ReStore itself. In 2005, Habitat for Humanity of Blount County helped establish the Foothills Community Development Corporation, an affiliated nonprofit created under former executive director Kay Bowers to build and rehabilitate additional housing for low- and moderate-income residents.
Foothills Mall's location near the junction of U.S. Highways 129, 321, and 411 gives the cruise-in a high-visibility stage, with daily traffic counts exceeding 90,000 vehicles passing the property and a primary trade area of roughly 120,000 residents within a 10-mile radius, per Urban Retail Properties. For two days this weekend, that traffic will include a steady stream of hoods popped and engines idling, all in the name of funding a few more homes across Blount County.
