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April 3, 2026
Cabin fever is a real thing. And after spending the last few months cooped up in our shop in Wisconsin waiting for warmer weather and the roads to clear, it was finally time to get the cars loaded up and head down to one of our favorite events of the year. Riverside Chattanooga. 2026 marked the the 5th Riverside event that the MartiniWorks team has attended, and this year we wanted to make it one to remember. So with 5 vehicles loaded onto trailers, a massive booth packed up into a moving truck, the entire team made the 14 hour drive down to Chattanooga Tennessee.
Typically for an event like this, a company will pack up a few people, send them on their way, and stick them in a budget hotel room. But that’s not the MartiniWorks way. With our team that attended the event along with significant others and friends, we had a total of 17 people that joined us on this trip. Which just so happens to be the perfect amount of people to fill up a beautiful Airbnb on the Tennessee River.
After getting out of the great white north and 30” of snow, a 14 hour road trip, and finding space for the 5 vehicles and trailers that brought everything down. We were settled into 70 degree weather and ready to hit the weekend hard.
The Riverside Chattanooga event essentially sounds off the beginning of the season when it comes to car shows and meets in the area. Scheduled annually at the beginning of Spring, Riverside brings together a mixed bag of builds and enthusiasts to gather at the First Horizon Pavilion in Chattanooga Tennessee. Starting in 2016, the Riverside team has done an incredible job of hosting this event that has now grown into a multi day event with the Friday night “Rehearsal” with live music and food, as well as the main event on Saturday. But this isn’t your ordinary car show. In fact, it’s hard to classify it as a show at all. Because believe it or not, there are no awards given at this event. Which may seem crazy considering the caliber of builds that end up showing up.
Their slogan really says it all. “Come for the cars, stay for the people”. Since this isn’t an event where people are gunning for a trophy, it gives people a chance to breathe, relax, and bring something that may not be cut out to win a trophy at a show, but something that is unapologetically unique to them. And that’s what makes this event so special. It brings together so many different types of enthusiasts that may not normally attend an event together. The cars themselves are dope, but what makes the event is the people. Making new friends and meeting up with some you may not have seen in a year. The foundations of the event were built on grassroot ideas. And over the last 10 years When you hear someone talk about the Riverside event, you always hear about the “Vibes”. And that’s it. There’s truly no other way to describe it.
Our mission was quite simple. Show up, hang out, show everyone what MartiniWorks is about, gather dope content, and of course have a great time. When it comes to the MartiniWorks “Booth”, we could keep things simple, load up a 10×10 tent with a fold up table and sling some t-shirts, but we chose not to do that. Instead, we essentially set up our own version of a “Martini Lounge” equipped with couches, carpet, bar tops to check out apparel, sim rigs, coffee, and of course a fleet of our own vehicles. Which included our R34 Skyline GT-T, Nissan S15, Alex’s Datsun 240z, and the MartiniWorks Racing Pro Formula Mazda.
One of our favorite things to do at events such as Riverside is talk with the owners of the incredible builds that show up. Our media team was constantly roaming around the grounds interviewing owners. Getting to know them, their builds, and giving them the ability to share their story with others. Over the weekend we were able to gather over 20 individual pieces of video content that we will be sharing over the next month or so on the MartiniWorks social channels. So make sure to check those out!
Riverside has cemented its place in the MartiniWorks event calendar and we will continue to attend this event for as long as it is around. Simply because we believe in what the Riverside team is doing. Their event is unlike anything we have ever attended and it breathes a breath of fresh air into the automotive community. If you haven’t attended a Riverside event yet and you are able to, we can’t recommend it enough. That being said, we want to extend a huge thank you to the Riverside team and the community that they have managed to bring together. We are looking forward to seeing you all there next Spring!
Alex Gelina "Also Known as Gels"