Car enthusiasts can show their love for automobiles at the 14th annual Holley National Hot Rod Reunion, which is presented by AAA Insurance.

Gates open at 8 a.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday at Beech Bend Raceway at 798 Beech Bend Road. For a complete schedule, visit nhramuseum.org.

The reunion is produced by and benefits the Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum in Pomona, Calif. According to a news release, the museum is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit educational institution and collects, preserves, exhibits and interprets the vehicles, stories and artifacts that represent the influence of automotive speed and style in all its forms.

The Hot Rod Reunion has a “little bit of everything for everyone,” said NHRA Senior Communication Manager Scott Smith.

“There’s nostalgic quarter-mile drive racing. There are people who are there strictly for the racing. There are people coming for the vendors,” he said. “There are people who want to see the classic cars. There are so many different things. If you ask 10 different people you might get 10 different answers about what their favorite thing is.”

The reunion aspect is a big part of the weekend, Smith said.

“It’s racers who may not have seen each other in a year or 10 years who can get back together and talk about the memories they have,” he said.

There will be more than 400 race cars and more than 1,000 show cars at the event, Smith said.

“It’s neat to see Beech Bend and see all of us come into the facility. It looks so big and so massive,” he said. “Then you go to the event day and there’s not a blade of grass to be found. It takes up the entire facility.”

People line up early to get there, Smith said.

“It’s neat for me to get there at 6 in the morning and see these people in line to get their favorite parking spot to see the show cars,” he said.

While the NHRA hasn’t done a formal study, Smith believes the reunion has a significant economic impact on Bowling Green.

“It’s cool to see it come into the city like it is. We’re staying at the University Holiday Inn. The parking lot is full of people attending the event,” he said. “I just ate dinner downtown and you can see people who come for the event. It’s good that the city of Bowling Green has embraced it and made us feel welcome in the town. Just the feel and vibe of the city – you can tell they embrace everybody when they get to town.”

— Follow features reporter Alyssa Harvey on Twitter @bgdnfeatures or visit bgdailynews.com.