From toddlers who love to see fire trucks to senior citizens who spend all their time fiddling with antique tractors, kids of all ages sure do love cars, trucks, and things that go.
The Dan River region has plenty of opportunities to facilitate that love of mechanized objects for kids or to embrace your own inner gearhead.
Start with this weekend’s Touch-A-Truck event in Eden, North Carolina, and then check out our list of other places to satisfy your craving for all things that go VROOOOM!
Touch-A-Truck
Saturday, August 25, 2018
10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Henry Street, Eden, NC
The whole family will enjoy getting up close and personal with huge trucks and construction equipment in a friendly, safe environment. Fire engines, big rigs, bull dozers and more will all be there for you to touch, climb, play and learn about how they do all the amazing things they do. Explore vehicles from construction, fire, military, police, public works and rescue, plus monster, tow, and tractor trailer trucks.
Admission is a non-perishable food item for the Kids Backpack Food program.
Find more information at the event’s website or at its Facebook page.
Watch close and you might see Eden Rescue Squad’s massive new squad engine RS13, a 15-ton 2018 Freightliner/Hackney Heavy Duty truck with state-of-the-art tools that can help remove accident victims from wreckage much faster than the squad’s older devices.
For fun with vehicles, check out one of these attractions:
Franklin County Agricultural Fair, Virginia
September 12-15, 2018
Experience the excitement of tractor competitions, student SkillsUSA competitions, midway rides, non-stop music, live action entertainment, local exhibits and demonstrations, pet and livestock shows, a pageant, petting zoo, food, family and fun.
Tank Museum, Virginia
Danville’s tank museum is filled with tanks and other military equipment, including a rare tank from World War I. The museum also includes gear, uniforms, and other collectibles.
Wood Brothers Museum, Virginia
Learn about one of NASCAR’s most legendary families and racing teams, whose drivers have included Curtis Turner, Fireball Roberts, Dale Jarrett, A.J. Foyt, Glen Wood, Buddy Baker, Junior Johnson, Cale Yarborough, Ned Jarrett, Ricky Rudd, Mark Martin, and Bill Elliott.
311 Motor Speedway, North Carolina
This racetrack, which bills itself as “The Daytona of Dirt,” hosts racing events on a weekly basis from late March through early October.
Danville and Western Railway, North Carolina and Virginia
The remnants of this railroad operating from Danville to Eden are still in operation but are only a shadow of what they were during the 20th century. There’s plenty of railfan history here, along with the opportunity to spy a working train.
VIRginia International Speedway, Virginia
VIR is America’s first true “motorsport resort,” built around a 3.27-mile multi-purpose road course that hosts amateur auto, motorcycle racing, and other track events.