“If you find WCR, RRC, MUSR, ECC, TR and many other 914 events are simply too far away to attend, then chances are you live in the Southeast.”

It was that observation (and a conversation with Doug aka dlee6204, a fellow 914worlder) that lead to the Fall of 2012 Day Drive in the Smokies. In fact, for a few months before that, Bob Saville and I had talked about the need for a Southeast-based 914 gathering. You could say the Day Drive was a “test run” for the annual event to come. Bob coined the term “Okteenerfest” and we both committed to making this event happen.

Since the 914 was built to handle, the main emphasis of Okteenerfest is always on driving (we do have some awfully nice roads around here). To keep it fresh, we decided to rotate the event among several different locales in the Smoky Mountain area encompassing an area from the Dragon in TN, east to Asheville, NC, and as far south as Helen, GA.

AND NOW A BIT OF HISTORY…

As the event grew, we realized it was extremely difficult to find a venue that included the required lodging space, car show area, and banquet space. So after two years each in Townsend TN, Banner Elk NC, and Helen GA, we returned to Banner Elk in 2019. It was that year that we reached a record 150 attendees and over 60 914s.

And then came the pandemic.

And life changing… well, changes.

Some of the core promoters found themselves in new careers which did not allow them the freedom to continue with their event duties. In 2020, Okteenerfest was canceled but was replaced by a much smaller, “drive only” event dubbed “Teenerpaluza”. In 2021, Okteenerfest returned and was held in Pigeon Forge TN. With covid still a threat, attendance was down to just under 100 people and 50 914s. The expertise of Bob, Michael and others was sorely missed.

Okteenerfest 2022 was held in Townsend, TN and was a huge success even if attendance was a bit down. Some amazing 914s were shown including the Brumos dealership 914 with under 8k miles!!! Oh, yeah… the owner DROVE it to the event and on Friday’s drive. As always, seeing so many 914s in one spot, meeting fellow enthusiasts, and listening to their stories is what makes all the hard work worth it! 

Okteenerfest 2023 remained in Townsend as we celebrated the 10th year of this event. Over 100 people were in attendance, some having travelled from as far away as Texas, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania. On Saturday morning we had nearly 50 914s showing. The weather was absolutely perfect the entire weekend for top-down driving, showing of cars, and hanging out until late in the evening.

Okteenerfest 2024 will return to Townsend and we will be celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Can Am Limited Edition Porsche 914. In 2014, for the 40th anniversary, there were 11 LE 914s. My hope is to see double that number for the 50th!

I am always on the lookout for new roads to drive but the above-mentioned issues of lodging, car show and banquet space, and even tow vehicle parking, all present giant roadblocks. The roads for Okteenerfest are, ideally, located in less-travelled areas such as National and State Parks, and other roads with minimal traffic, cross road, and residential driveways. I have a few areas in mind but need to find the time to go explore the actual condition of the roads, available lodging, etc. Until that time, Okteenerfest will remain in Townsend.

~Steven Schleif