Smoky Mountain Toy Run returns to the Swannanoa Valley
State’s oldest motorcycle toy drive back for for 41st year
Fred McCormick
The Valley Echo
November 4, 2021
The Smoky Mountain Toy Run, which began in Swannanoa in 1981, will return for its 41st year, Nov. 6. The event will begin in the Kearfott parking lot at 10 a.m. Photo courtesy of Jean Aiken Mumpower
On a cold day in December of 1981, around 30 local motorcycle enthusiasts rendezvoused in Swannanoa, before heading west to Asheville where they made a special holiday delivery for area children in need.
What began as a small gathering of Swannanoa Valley bikers turned into an annual tradition, which will return for its 41st year when the Smoky Mountain Toy Run gets underway at 10 a.m., Saturday, Nov. 6, in the parking lot of Kearfott.
The longest-running toy run in the state will leave at 1 p.m., when a parade of motorcycles will be joined by a police escort as it cruises west along U.S. 70 through Swannanoa, bringing gifts to the City-County Plaza in downtown Asheville. The toys collected and money raised by the bikers will be donated to the Eblen Charities Saint Nicholas Project.
Riders can register for the toy run for $15, or with a new toy valued at $15 or more, on the day of the event. Participants will receive commemorative t-shirts, and the pre-ride festivities will include music and a raffle. All road-worthy motorcycles are eligible to register.
While the event began as a gathering of Swannanoa Valley bikers looking for a way to help others during the holiday season, it has grown into an annual tradition in the community, according to Jerry Slagle, one of the founding riders.
The toys and funds collected by the 41st Annual Smoky Mountain Toy Run, which begins, Nov. 6, in Swannanoa and ends in downtown Asheville, benefit the Eblen Charities Saint Nicholas Project. Photo courtesy of Gary Aiken
“Back then, there were a bunch of us who rode bikes,” said Slagle, who will not be riding this year due to health issues. “We would normally just put our bikes away that time of year and work on them.”
Slagle read about a California toy run benefiting the Marine’s Toys for Tots program, and saw an opportunity for him and his friends to help the community while taking their motorcycles on one last ride before the winter.
“A few of us got together that year and took presents to Santa Pal in Asheville,” Slagle said. “It wasn’t all guys either. We had one woman, Deb McFee, who rode with us that day.”
The small group left from a former Swannanoa bar called the Executive Club, a place they would often gather. While the first toy run featured around 18 motorcycles, according to Slagle, 85 showed up the second year. Today, the parade draws spectators who line up along U.S. 70 to view it every holiday season.
“The number of riders has gone up and down over the years, but there have been years when 300 bikes showed up,” he said. “It’s always a good time, and the people who come to see it always enjoy it.”
The event evolved throughout the decades, from a small group of volunteers to its current corporate structure that works year-round to organize and promote the Smoky Mountain Toy Run, which has been sponsored by the Smoky Mountain Chapter of the Harley Owners Group since 1996.
As the motorcycle parade prepares to return to Swannanoa for its 41st year, Slagle and the founding members are happy to see the tradition is still going strong, but not surprised.
“We got it going to keep it going,” Slagle said. “We’re glad to see it’s still going today.”