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Shay automobiles, replicas of Ford Model A cars of the early 1900s, will be on display Saturday afternoon at the Townsend Visitors Center where the Pottery Festival will be under way.

The Shay Owners Club International (SOCI) will be meeting for the first time in Townsend, said club president Dave Shank of Indianapolis, Ind.

He said the club has members in the area and they requested that the annual meeting be held in Townsend. The group meets at different places each year.

On the club’s Web site, Shank wrote, “If you are lucky enough to attend a Shay Meet, none of the cars look the same, barely similar. They all have their own personal character.”

He expects about 30 cars to be on hand for the show.

The Highland Manor Inn in Townsend is hosting the Shay owners. Check-in will begin at 2 p.m. Thursday and there will be informational meetings in the inn conference center at 7:30 p.m. and an informal gathering of members at 8:30 p.m.

On Friday the group will leave Townsend at 9:30 a.m. to go to Cades Cove for a 10 a.m. motor tour. On Saturday the group will leave Townsend at 9:30 a.m, for a lunch and visit in Pigeon Forge.

They will arrive back in Townsend at 2 p.m. for a car show in conjunction with the Pottery Festival at the Visitors Center.

At 4:30 p.m., Tech Talk will be held at the Highland Manor parking lot. Members will discuss the cars and answer questions. At 8 p.m. the SOCI group will hold a business meeting and elect officers.

All events are open to the public, Shank said.