If you're a fan of the classic TV show "The Dukes of Hazzard," then you've no doubt heard of the annual, wildly popular DukesFest gathering of fans. And if you've heard of DukesFest, then you've probably heard that the event moved from Nashville to the birthplace of "The Dukes," Hot-lanta, this year. It's a special event marking the 30th anniversary of the creation of the show, which began filming in the Covington and Conyers area of Georgia in late 1978. And in this locale, the event promises to be a big, action-packed, five-or-so-day stretch.
Though the actual DukesFest event doesn't start until Saturday morning at the Atlanta Motor Speedway, last night things kicked off for the early birds in the downtown square of Covington (which any fan of "In the Heat of the Night" will certainly recognize -- the entire run of the show was filmed in town). The Hazzard County Stunt Team, featuring mechanics and stunt guys who worked on the original Warner Bros. series, were on hand to chat with fans and sign cars (big, big, big with "Dukes" fans who own the blazin' orange 1969 Dodge Chargers dubbed the General Lee). I was there to sign my reference guide to the show, "Them Dukes! Them Dukes!" and my fellow author Jon Holland, a "Dukes" historian, was there to sign his book, "The Roads Back to Early Hazzard." The stunt team, who organized the event, have dubbed it the Hazzard County Cruise-In, and fans are invited to park their General Lees or other "Dukes" related cars around the square.
The evening -- amid the sunny Southern heat closing all around and showing us just why Cooter liked to call this Hot-lanta -- was most enjoyable, with plenty of fun and chatting. Take the two young gentlemen in the below photo, for instance, all gussied up as those Hazzard County lawmen, Rosco and Enos -- or was it Rosco and Cletus?! They came in from New Jersey in a modern Hazzard County Sheriff's car that they said was actually pulled over for speeding by the (real) police! The real boys in blue warned the guys not to be wearing those uniforms in the vehicle, also. They are rather convincing, ya know?
The below display of "Dukes" goodies was from reps of John Schneider, who, of course, played Bo Duke on the series and who has enjoyed quite a robust surplus of new roles in the past few years.
Fun, fun, fun, DukesFest is for all, and it will roll on for the next several days. The Hazzard County Cruise-In will continue in Covington tonight, 6 to 10, then on Sunday after DukesFest wraps up, same hours. I'll post more coverage here, as I'm having a lot of fun, too!
 Photos by Billie Rae Bates / BRBTV.com
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