Gadsden, Alabama alternative fuels fest

I’m organizing an Alternative Fuel Fest to be held March 29-30 that will showcase vehicles that are powered by anything other than straight gasoline. It will be held in Gadsden, Alabama, at the Tractor Supply store on Highway 431 south.
Wayne Keith has agreed to attend and allow his vehicle(s) to be the drawing card.
In addition to Wayne’s trucks there will be hybrids, straight electric vehicles, former military 2 1/2 “Deuce and a half’s” with multi-fuel engines and diesel vehicles that run on other fuels than straight diesel.
I will also invite representatives from local schools and others who have an interest in alternative energy.
Friday the 29th will be media day to allow reporters from local TV stations and newspapers to attend and publicize the event. Saturday will be the main event with a hot dog lunch for all participants.
Anyone with something to display is welcome to set up and meet other like minded folks.
For more info email me at: [email protected]

Any more info on this yet? I’d like to actually see a truck run on wood. Maybe get to meet Wayne.

The Fest is still on and will still be held at the Tractor Supply on Hwy 431 south of Gadsden (almost in Glenco). Saturday will be the big day but the media is invited on Friday so we can get some advance PR on Friday nights news shows.
I’m still contacting folks about displaying vehicles. So far there is Wayne, a fellow using “Black Diesel”, a fellow using hydrogen. There should also be some military trucks that use the multi-fuel engines. I’ve also asked some of the local car dealers to bring hybrids and electircs to display.
Come on down and display or just hang out with fellow alt fuel folks.

BUMP. The Fest is on target. I have the Gadsden Times newpaper covering it for sure and maybe one or two TV stations (depends on if it’s a slow news day).
I’ll be at Tractor Supply early Friday morning to get my big truck set up and the banner displayed.
Ya’ll come on out and see what’s happening.

Richard, Good luck with your event. That’s pretty close to Wayne so I’m sure no big deal for him. My last visit to Wayne’s it was 872 miles back here … Watching snow melt here but worked today in the field surveying … Some irons in the fields I hammered 2 feet into solid ice yet. On some I broke through the frost at a foot … Don’t even think of driving a truck off the road right now. The basement of my shop has a small creek going through it right now and around 2 or 3 sacks of very good cherry wood is on the floor that I will have to re-pack and wash the dirt off and re-dry … :o) Mike

The first day of the Fest went pretty good. Not a huge crowd but it was Friday and lots of folks work. We had the Gadsden Times newspaper out and a local TV news channel. Both interviewed Wayne and he took the newspaper guy for a ride in the small Dodge pickup truck.
If the weather holds out we should have a better crowd tomorrow since the news will go out via paper and video.
Here are some pics.



I wonder when Wayne will wear out that green shirt :o) ??? Got the mixing valve on my new truck today …Wish I could lay under it and get the pipe in place … Mike

Hey Mikie ,

That green shirt has been a good one. It was given to me for the “ coast to coast and back tour” summer 2008.

I do have another shirt but it had sawdust , pine rawson , paint ,weld spatter holes , oil and condensate stains , grease, tar , soot , mud , and calf slobber on it.

Go Green!!

SWEM

i missed the meet up when are you all going to be withen 100 miles of nashville again im usually off on sundays and mondays.

Hello Boyette ,

I don’t have any traveling through your area planned in the next month but the third weekend in May there may be several of us buzzing up through Nashville going to Argos IN. for the woodgas bang…

Must have been a slow news weekend in Alabama , instead of just saying sorry folks nothing going on they filled in with some redneck from Springville .

http://www.gadsdentimes.com/article/20130329/NEWS/130329798?p=1&tc=pg

http://www.tv24.tv/news/?newsID=14460

“(3-29-13) A group of individuals promoting the use of alternative fuel sources is holding an Alternative Fuels Festival this weekend in Gadsden.The event is being held in the parking lot of the Tractor Supply Company on East Meighan Blvd. The public is invited to stop by and see vehicles that run off of alternative fuels like vegetable oil, propane, natural gas and even wood. Wayne Keith of Springville is proud of the wood burning engine in his pickup truck. Barry McCain of Coates Bend has an old military deuce and a half with a multi-fuel diesel engine that will run off almost any liquid that will burn. One alternative fuel that is already gaining a foothold in our economy is Compressed Natural Gas. Phoenix Energy of Birmingham is developing natural gas filling stations around the state and converting vehicles to run on CNG which performs very similarly to gasoline. Event organizer Richard Evans says that he put together the festival so that people could stop by and get a feel for what’s available to consumers already and what is being worked on for the future. He also says that since we are so dependent on gasoline and electricity, we need to look for alternatives in case they are ever needed. The alternative fuels festival continues tomorrow. The best time to stop in for a visit is between the hours of 10am and 2pm.”

i need to put that one on my calander
of must see.