The pouring rain didn’t stop thousands of Livingston Parish residents and visitors from coming out and seeing their childhood heroes Bo and Luke Duke.
More than 20,000 “Dukes of Hazzard” fans showed up at Henderson Auctions on Saturday to be a part of the Dukes of Hazzard Family Reunion and Car Show. Actors John Schneider, Tom Wopat and Catherine Bach, who played the famous Duke cousins, along with James Best, Rick Hurst, Sonny Shroyer and others, signed autographs and took photographs with fans.
Event attendees were able to view cars decked out like the General Lee and other modern and classic rides during the breaks from rain. People were also given the chance to pose for photos with “Flash,” a rescue dog from the SPCA, and listen to country music legend Johnny Lee.
Former radio personality and voice of Scooby-Doo Scott Innes put on the event with the help of Jim Hogg and others, who he called the “Fab Five.” Innes said he started planning this event about a year ago when he wanted to put on an event that would attract people.
He said Parish President Layton Ricks helped the event come together.
Innes wanted the event to attract today’s generation while still appealing to older fans. He said he believed the “Dukes of Hazzard” would attract large crowds because the General Lee is the most recognized car in television history.
Livingston Parish was the ideal place for the “Dukes of Hazzard” reunion, Innes said.
“It just has ‘Dukes of Hazzard’ written all over it,” he said.
Innes said many of the event’s sponsors like Henderson Auctions and Attorney Sherman Mack were located in the area, which was another reason he felt Livingston Parish was the right place for the reunion. Because of the upcoming parish fair, the reunion couldn’t be held at the Fair Ground.
Innes said he has long been a fan of the famed television show.
“I was one of those kids in my Dukes pajamas sitting there at Grandma’s house every Friday night watching [the ‘Dukes of Hazzard’],” he said.
Innes said he’s planning to have another “Dukes of Hazzard” event next year in October and hopes to add Smokey and the Bandit to the event. He said he wants to bring in more fair rides and make it a two-day event at the Livingston Parish Fair Ground.
“It’ll be a lot more flowing next year,” he said.
Innes said he was moved to tears after seeing a man ask Catherine Bach — as Daisy Duke from the television show — to sign his life-size General Lee. After signing the glovebox, Bach took a picture with the man while sitting on his lap.
“This man bawled for five minutes straight,” Innes said.
Overall, Innes said he is thankful for all the people who came out to the event despite the rain.
“It just warms my heart,” he said. “I want to thank everyone for coming out.”
