Did you know there is a reality show filmed right here in Reidsville? If you don’t, you should! The City of Reidsville, in conjunction with Toymakerz, is launching a self-guided driving tour where fans can visit some of their favorite sites from the show filmed in Reidsville. As a bonus, twice a month fans can get up close and personal by signing up to visit the Toymakerz shop and meet the crew!
Toymakerz is a custom fabrication shop in Reidsville NC featuring the unconventional and one-of-a-kind designs of owner David Ankin. A former stunt-driver and racer turned extreme vehicle fabricator and the visionary for Toymakerz, David says if he can see it, then he and his team can build it, then he drives it!
The show, airing on the History and FYI networks, includes one-hour episodes that feature everything from monster trucks to tanks, race cars and drones to fully custom never seen before exhibition cars. You never know who you might see on the show like race car driver icon Richard Petty and actor Dean Cain.
Mayor Donald Gorham says “The City of Reidsville has always had a fantastic relationship with David Ankin and Toymakerz since they started filming here. We are excited to have the opportunity to partner with them once again to showcase in and around Reidsville the beautiful locations Toymakerz enthusiasts have seen on their television screens.”
In addition to the Toymakerz series, now Ankin has a brand-new, high-octane digital series, THE FAST SOCIETY. Featuring some of the world’s most incredible one-off racing machines, THE FAST SOCIETY offers an uncharacteristically real and dramatic window into the intense worlds of today’s street racing, Grand Prix cars, off-roading, motorcycles and drifting.
According to Judy Yarbrough, City Marketer, “We are thrilled to have this tour so we can connect with all the fans that are coming into Reidsville to visit Toymakerzs and to promote to the world the opportunity for them to visit.This not only showcases Toymakerz but also our beautiful city.It’s a ‘win win’ for us all!”
The tour features ten locations throughout the City.You can go to our website (riseupreidsville.com/toymakerz), to see a map of the locations that will guide you on your tour. At each site is a sign with a QR code that will give you info about the location as well as show a clip from the show at that site.
From the website, fans can send an email to Toymakerz to sign up for an in-person tour of the shop and meet some of the crew.The shop will be open twice a month the 1st and third Saturdays of the month beginning mid-January 2022.Tours are from 9 a.m. until 12 noon, and you must register in advance.
David Ankin, owner of Toymakerz, said, “I am so excited about this project.We have fans traveling to Reidsville all the time and when they arrive, they want to see where we have filmed.This tour gives them that opportunity as well as a reason to visit Reidsville.It also allows us to set up specific times to meet our fans.It’s a wonderful opportunity for us and Reidsville.The more people we can bring into the City, the more exposure and when those people come, they visit our restaurants and businesses, and they may stay at our hotels.It’s a very effective tourism tool, and we are pleased to be partnering with the City to make it happen.”
Visit Reidsville today. Plan your trip at riseupreidsville.com.