The Grand Opening of Cooter's in the Country in Sperryville, VA was a huge success. The event took place over two days, Saturday and Sunday, but I could only make it on Sunday. Everyone told me Saturday was much more crowded, and I'm sorry I missed it. Sunday was so much fun and another great "Ben and Alma event."
Cooter's Garage Band entertained the crowd for a large part of the day. Lisa Meadows and the crew always put on a great show.
The beginning of the day saw some clouds but it never rained. It turned out to be a very nice day.
There was a constant crowd and everyone had a good time.
Our buddy Jim from Greensburg brought his General Lee to Sperryville. Neal rode down with him. Jim's car was parked in the back for a little bit.
Several people took pictures with Jim's car while it was in the main parking lot. Here's a Dukes loving family, that's for sure.
Our old pal Billy Lambing brought his Hazzard Patrol Car down for the event. It's always great catching up with Billy. Dave and Mellisia along with Jill and Matt were there on Saturday and I didn't get to hang out with them. Bill caught me up on what I missed. We also talked about rumors of someone getting towed and having an argument at a comic con, but those stories can't be substantiated.
Once Neal started talking Lee 1 with Bubba, I didn't see Neal again for a while.
There was also a fantastic replica of Cooter's Tow Truck that will sit in front of the store until Cooter's new General Lee is ready. The Tow Truck looks right at home there.
There was always a crowd browsing the merchandise inside the store. Michael and the Cooter's Place crew have made some great new items for the store. You can now buy brand new party supplies, pens and pencils, balloons, posters, and all kinds of other Dukes items. They are all available at any of the three locations as well as CootersPlace.com. Keep up the great work Michael!
I really enjoyed watching people check out the museum. I put a lot of work into it and I'm glad everyone likes it. So much great Dukes stuff!
This might be my favorite picture of the day.
13 year old JR from Tennessee is a model building Dukes fanatic. I love talking to young Dukes fans. JR really knows his Dukes and is a very talented model builder.
He built this jumped General Lee diorama and donated it to Cooter's. Great job JR. I look forward to talking to you again and seeing more of your creations.
After Bill left for the day, Jim brought his General around to the front. People were taking pictures with it all day.
Her mom told me she was the biggest 3 year old Dukes fan in the world. I don't doubt it.
Now that's a great shot.
Jim's pal Bubba (that's two Bubbas in one day) rode down with him and Neal. That's a mug shot for ya. I had a lot of fun hanging out with these good ol' boys talking Dukes. I also spent some time with fellow Dukes fanatics Jett and Richie. Richie and Jett have been deep inside the Dukes world for as long as I have. It is always nice to talk to them.
About mid-way through the day I went to the car and pulled out my Figures Toy Company 8 inch Dukes of Hazzard Cooter figure. Let's just say it was a hit. Ben hadn't seen it yet and really loved it. The crowd all around him really loved it too. I think everyone there really loved it.
A little bit later when Ben went back up with the band, he called me up to get the figure for him.
He spent a long time talking about the figure and telling stories about the pictures on the package and other memories.
Ben made the action figure a big part of his performance and really got the crowd excited about buying one. They haven't arrived at Cooter's Place in Sperryville yet, but if they did have them, they would have sold out after this.
Ben thanked me for bringing the figure then told the crowd about me and this blog. I passed out so many DukesCollector cards after that. Ben is such a great guy.
Ben was signing autographs inside the store most of the time. We did manage to get him outside to sign Jim's General later in the day.
I'd say Jim was a happy General Lee owner.
Neal got to spend some quality time chatting with Miss Alma.
Hey look, Jeffrey was there! Really happy Jeff made the trip with me. That's a great picture of Jeff, Jim, his General and the store.
Ol' Ben never turns anyone away. He signed autographs until everyone was happy. I took pictures for him for a while. You can tell he really loves meeting everyone. What a guy Ben is.
Lee 1 replica owner Bubba made this great plaque for the store. He presented it to Ben before he left.
It is a very nice, heavy piece that will hang by the main door. He told me he used an Ertl General Lee as the mold. I think that's perfect as it celebrates the main Dukes of Hazzard collectible. Bubba's creation is very special. Great job!
Right before Ben left, I grabbed a picture with him. He said he was going home to sleep for three days. The best part about Cooter's in the Country is Ben lives right down the road. Ben and Alma are very excited about the new store and will be there very often. Daisy's Dairy bar is up and running and I can tell you the milkshakes are outstanding. The kitchen, Uncle Jesse's Kitchen, will be open soon. Everyone should check out Cooter's in the Country. No matter where you are, it's worth the trip.
