ROCKINGHAM — Organizers are gearing up for Richmond County’s second beer festival of the season.
Hops and Hot Rods, now in its second year, is scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 2 at Rockingham Speedway.
The idea for Hops and Hot Rods at the Rock was initially brewed in 2023 just days after the Richmond County Chamber of Commerce announced it would no longer organize its craft beer festival, Hoptoberfest, which was held from 2015-2022 — with the exception of 2020.
Click here to see photos from the 2023 Hops and Hot Rods.
The festival also includes Raffle at the Rock, the main fundraiser for Richmond Economic Development Corp., the organization responsible for fostering economic growth.
REDC is a 501c3 nonprofit which builds, maintains and markets Richmond County’s shell building programs and industrial parks, and secures funds to keep from using taxpayer money, according to Economic Developer Martie Butler.
Raffle tickets are $100 each for a chance to win a variety of prizes including: a 2024 Nissan Sentra; a 2024 Polaris Sportsman 450; a John Deere zero-turn mower; Carolina Panthers tickets; several firearms; and gift certificates and cash.
Tickets for the Rusty Wallace Racing Experience were also listed as one of the prizes. However, that company “suspended operations” in late August. Butler said that tickets for Seat Time Racing Experience will be offered instead.
For the “hops” part of the event, Butler said there will be a few more selections than were available last year, as well as mixed drinks at the pit garage bar. For those not wanting alcohol, water and soft drinks will be sold.
As for the “hot rods,” the event will coincide with the Crown 9 Champion series.
The Crown 9 is the Rock’s own five-race series featuring Ford Crown Victorias (Mercury Grand Marquis and Lincoln Town Cars are also permitted) on the track’s infield road course.
The track announced earlier this week that the October race, scheduled for this weekend, was canceled in the wake of Hurricane Helene.
Click here to read about the cancellation.
Warriors in Motion will also be on site.
According to the organization’s website, Warriors in Motion offers adrenaline-based therapy to help veterans and first responders “break free from the weight of trauma, rediscover camaraderie, and rebuild resilience.”
Warriors in Motion has offered paid ride-alongs in the previous two Crown 9 races.
Due to the limited space with two events at the same time, Butler said there will not be a car show included this year.
Pitmaster Ron Simmons of Masterblend Family Farms in Kenansville — and several other pitmasters — will be cooking up chicken wings donated by Perdue Farms of Rockingham. There will also be several food trucks on site.
Muddy Creek Revival will be playing a variety of country and southern rock, with DJ Solo keeping the party going after the band.
Tickets for Hops and Hot Rods are $30 and include unlimited craft beer samples and entry to the Crown 9 races. They are available on EventBrite, with a link on the Richmond County Economic Development Facebook page.
This past weekend, another craft beer festival — the inaugural Brew’palooza — was held on the lawn of Rockingham Dragway.
Click here to see photos from Brew’palooza.