In June of 1996, The Rhododendron Cruisers Car Club was born in the mountains of Mitchell County, North Carolina. In the summer, folks escape the heat and head to the mountains to cool off. Along with cool mountain tops, rivers to fish in and parkways to picnic at, downtown Spruce Pine is the place for Saturday Night Cruise Ins. Our Club is named after Roan Mountain. Dr. Elisha Mitchell, after whom Mitchell County is named, established that the highest mountain east of the Rockies was located in North Carolina. The Roan's 6,285 ft. elevation put it out of contention for the highest mountain honors, its beauty is unsurpassed, as Mitchell observed: "It is the most beautiful of all the high mountains. Join car enthusiasts on Lower Street, Spruce Pine, NC. See restored cars and other special vehicles of interest at this popular free event. Now is a great time to be making your plans to attend our annual Rhododendron Festival Car Show. This event is held each year at the Bowman Middle School, Bakersville, NC.