Ya going to be there or what???
Yes there will be vendors and swap meet area as well as a drive in movie and panoramic photo with BBQ dinner. Car rally, Concourse and autocross. Although there will not be any official drives to the dragon (insurance reasons) there should be at least one unsponsered drive. Of course you have to register soon time is dwindeling away.
I've got my room booked, but I keep going back & forth between MME & another track day. Today the wife & I are leaning toward MME. When is the sign up deadline?
I completely understand not having a sponsored Dragon run. That is a must do for me if I end up down there.
I completely understand not having a sponsored Dragon run. That is a must do for me if I end up down there.
Hey.....I didn't even know you guys were talking in here.
I'm supposed to get thread notification. Glad you are keeping up Minigma. 
Mini Meet East 2007 follows many of the traditions of east coast Mini Meets of the past 32 years, but in a slightly laid back east Tennessee fashion.
Today's count is 27 classic Minis and 19 new MINIs. But about 130 rooms are booked at this time. Early registration ends May 24. My guess is 120ish classics and 100 or so new MINIs. You will get to see most classic Mini variants.
An evening drive into Gatlinburg on Thursday night.
Friday is concours with popular vote classes for all MINIs and Minis. I think we have 37 classes at the moment but I am considering adding one for the classic Minis with the vtec (and other) conversions.
Friday evening is a combination of funkhana, some of the awards, movie, all with a street fair kind of feel. Hot dog stand, funnel cakes, popcorn vendor, etc.
The Saturday AM touring rally finishes at a private lake at the foot of Chilhowee Mountain for some BBQ cooked right on site. The panoramic photo will be done by our ever faithful Jay Best with Crabtree Photo and the antique panoramic camera. After the BBQ, just go up Chilhowee Mountain and down into Happy Valley, and voila you are at the Dragon.
Sunday is the autocross where chips may be knocked off of all shoulders. I carry a classic Mini chip on the right and a MINI chip on the left. Maybe I'll autocross both.
For installs, I know Way will be there but not sure who else might be.
Come on out and play cars with us.
I'm supposed to get thread notification. Glad you are keeping up Minigma. 
Mini Meet East 2007 follows many of the traditions of east coast Mini Meets of the past 32 years, but in a slightly laid back east Tennessee fashion.
Today's count is 27 classic Minis and 19 new MINIs. But about 130 rooms are booked at this time. Early registration ends May 24. My guess is 120ish classics and 100 or so new MINIs. You will get to see most classic Mini variants.
An evening drive into Gatlinburg on Thursday night.
Friday is concours with popular vote classes for all MINIs and Minis. I think we have 37 classes at the moment but I am considering adding one for the classic Minis with the vtec (and other) conversions.
Friday evening is a combination of funkhana, some of the awards, movie, all with a street fair kind of feel. Hot dog stand, funnel cakes, popcorn vendor, etc.
The Saturday AM touring rally finishes at a private lake at the foot of Chilhowee Mountain for some BBQ cooked right on site. The panoramic photo will be done by our ever faithful Jay Best with Crabtree Photo and the antique panoramic camera. After the BBQ, just go up Chilhowee Mountain and down into Happy Valley, and voila you are at the Dragon.
Sunday is the autocross where chips may be knocked off of all shoulders. I carry a classic Mini chip on the right and a MINI chip on the left. Maybe I'll autocross both.

For installs, I know Way will be there but not sure who else might be.
Come on out and play cars with us.
I missed the Dragon this weekend due to an accident at work (broken collar bone etc) which i'd been planning since last May,so i thought i'd make some of it up by going to this,never been.Whats it like? Anything like the Dragon as far as activities? Looked at website,really didn't see much except car show and links to Dragon and other areas in Tn.How far is the Dragon? I looked on map,it doesn't appear too far.Do people make the drive over to the Dragon that weekend? Sorry for all the questions,its just that i've been used to the Dragon and all it's activities the last 3 years and have gotten to love it and was looking for something similar.Thanks in advance.
Bill
Bill
I'm taking my wife to the Dragon while we are at MME, if you want to go along. It's about 50 miles or less from Alcoa, on US 129. I'd imagine that quite a few MINI/Minis will be headed there during MME, too, since it has quite a reputation as well as a dedicated following.
It's about 20 minutes or less to the TN end of the Dragon. There are several routes there with a couple of them quite scenic. Several different area drives will be included in the event program.
After being on the fence for a while it looks like my wife and I will make it down
Hopefully Way will get our classic back in running order in time so we can bring her along.
Alcoa (where we 45+ Audis stayed during MOTD this year) is a great drive to the Dragon. Go over the Foothills Parkway, or down the 'entrance' on US-129 to Tancat. Alcoa has amenities and such, so the extra miles to the Dragon aren't any penalty.
Y'all enjoy!
Y'all enjoy!
InTTruder, another great route is to take Montvale Road out of Maryville, over Chilhowee Mountain and then down Happy Hollow.
You should also look for Butterfly Gap.
You should also look for Butterfly Gap.
Last edited by queenB; May 14, 2007 at 07:09 AM.
Donna, you have maps of these routes, for those of us who normally just travel I-75 from the north, to US 129?
There will be maps for several area drives in the event program. The gimmick rally will take in Butterfly Gap and Top of the World. The Saturday BBQ picnic is at a private farm on Montvale Rd.
The union jackie will be there, just sent in my registration!!!
We dont officially belong to a mini group and live in columbia sc.. hoping to meet up with all kinds of "mini" people. We did to the motd, and had such a blast meeting alot of fun people..
can't wait to see everyone and their cars..
We dont officially belong to a mini group and live in columbia sc.. hoping to meet up with all kinds of "mini" people. We did to the motd, and had such a blast meeting alot of fun people..
can't wait to see everyone and their cars..
2nd Gear
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 83
Likes: 0
From: Westerville OH
Hey Ruffcat -
Great to have ya - can't wait to see the Union Jackie! Let's be sure and find each other. Wifey and I are thinking about retirement in the greater Columbia, and would love to pick your brain for a few minutes.
See you in a month or so!
Great to have ya - can't wait to see the Union Jackie! Let's be sure and find each other. Wifey and I are thinking about retirement in the greater Columbia, and would love to pick your brain for a few minutes.
See you in a month or so!


