Impromptu meets always seem to just kind of feel different- almost like there’s some kind of adrenaline rush? After a mix up with dates and locations, I ended up in an empty parking lot in Raleigh, on the wrong weekend for a meet. I hurriedly messaged a friend regarding a downtown meet I had seen on facebook, and made my way over.

In a stark contrast to the Triangle Rad Neon Spring show earlier in the day- two local car groups collaborated to create this meet in the heart of Raleigh. Phantom Nation and Lowkeyaf organized (like permits and everything- legit- kudos for that) a pretty sizeable meet in a commuter lot complete with food trucks and even some vendors.

Diversity was truly off the charts- everything from a WILD widebody NA2 NSX (also seen earlier leaving Neon Spring) to yours truly’s Polo Harlekin, with everything in between. Off the top of my head- McLaren GT, Polo Harlekin, F250 Super Duty, 370z, R33 GTS-T, RS3, M2 – all within a 360-degree view in one spot.

Of course, there’s always some folks who don’t abide by very simple guidelines- but the organizers were on top of it with megaphones and, overall, I would say the event was successful for sure. Had the opportunity to see some folks I usually only see at meets, and an old friend from an incredible group of people that I hadn’t seen since prior to moving back up to CT.

Oh right- the contrast. Whereas Triangle Rad is much more mellow, kind of a walk in the park on a nice day- metaphorically speaking- I’d equate this to a festival. Not the patchouli and body odor kind- but the kind where there’s food, dancing, music, celebration- the energy was pretty electric. Normally with events like this, they do have a tendency to be ruined by the same people who probably don’t return their shopping carts to the corrals without being told to- however- this one really was able to balance a fun atmosphere and keep it welcoming to everyone. At times, it felt like it could be a backdrop for a scene from Tokyo Drift- minus the drifting and hulk themed VW Touran. Kudos to both clubs for throwing this together, I had a blast and definitely will be keeping an eye open for future ones!

One thought on “Downtown Raleigh Pt. II by Phantom Nation x Lowkeyaf

  1. Thank you for coming to our show! Phantom Nation is always trying to make big family events for everyone to enjoy. Stay tuned for the next event and come through to our event July 16th Cars & Culture!!!!

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