Gallery: 45th anniversary Bandit Run makes a stop in Vicksburg

(Editor’s note: A gallery exists below this article showcasing photos and videos of the 2022 turnout in Vicksburg. All media was supplied by John Kirby Day.)

The 2022 Bandit Run made its way into Vicksburg on Monday. The Bandit Run is a yearly event where motorists take the journey, following the same route, as Bo  Darville and Cledus Snow made in the 1977 movie Smokey and the Bandit.

The following is from their Facebook page:

The Bandit Run is a reenactment of the journey portrayed in the 1977 movie ‘Smokey and the Bandit’. The first ‘run’ took place on May 15, 2007, and was co-founded by David Hershey of Keller, Texas and Dave Hall of Restoreamusclecar in Lincoln, Nebraska. It has become an annual event.

Following the same route that the characters Bo “Bandit” Darville (Burt Reynolds) and Cledus “Snowman” Snow (Jerry Reed) made in the 1977 movie, a group of about 30 Trans Ams started out in Texarkana in 2007. There, they had a send off at the Classic Car Museum.

Both Texarkana mayors also got involved and gave a send off speech to the group. Heading east on the three-day trip, they were joined by Hot Rod Magazine and Automobile Magazine. After an evening in Tupelo, the growing group of Bandit runners received another send-off at the Tupelo Auto Museum on May 16. From there, they headed toward Birmingham, Alabama.

There was then a stop at the Talladega Superspeedway, where the Bandit Runners were given a tour of the museum, a group photo and lunch. Then, a short drive to their destination, the Year One Facility for the annual Year One Experience, a three-day event.

The group arrived in Atlanta with more than 100 Trans Ams and other cars strong! Local and national media were there to cover the event, including Automobile Magazine and The New York Times. Also along for the first year’s event was Hot Rod TV and the DIY Network, which featured stories on the Bandit Run. To finish the weekend off, local Bandit Runner Tyler Hambrick gave the group a movie location tour around Atlanta, and visited some of the movie’s most famous sites.

From there it was history. The event grows in size and popularity every year and is expected to keep growing. The route changes every year which allows everyone to get to see different parts of the country, be a part of different events, and get new people and their cars involved in a week long, fun, family oriented vacation.

Vicksburg turnout gallery: