All the parking spaces on Main Street were occupied with a
variety of cars on the anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist
attacks for the seventh annual Autumn Daze Car Show –
patriotically-themed this year.
Festivities were held Saturday and Sunday on Main Street and
Veterans Square. The car show registration was held from 9 a.m. to
1 p.m., and the show ran from about 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday.
Gary Hoy, one of the organizers with the Street Dreams Car Club,
which holds the annual car show, said Sunday they had about 260
cars entered into the show. There were 106 trophies awarded at
about 4:40 p.m. The first few hundred cars registered at the show
received dash plaques with last year’s winner on it.
“It’s a big event. It started small and grows and grows,” Hoy
said.
Hoy said they have people from New Jersey and Maryland that
attended the car show.
“We have a lot of people come from out of the area,” he said. “I
think it scares away more of the people from the area.”
Hoy said they received a great effort from the community and the
street vendors.
Being held on the weekend of Sept. 11, the theme of the entire
weekend was “Ain’t That America,” a tribute to the United States
four years to the day after the 9/11 bombings.
An eternal flame was lit on the main stage throughout the entire
show.
In 2001, Hoy said the show was supposed to be themed around a
spin off of the show “Laugh-in.” Four days before the show that
year was the 9/11 attacks.
“We had two Go-Go cages set up to run it like ‘Laugh-in,'” Hoy
said. “We changed up the entire show when 9/11 took place.”
The theme was changed to patriotism that year, and this year’s
theme was based around the same idea. There were red, white and
blue balloons and flags throughout Main Street during the show.
“Every car got a flag on its antenna,” Hoy said.
He had said this year’s car show was going to be two-thirds
patriotic and a third old-type rock ‘n roll songs.
There was Karaoke music and live singing by performers – Christa
Scheler, Keven Abbott, Elizabeth Fesenmyer, Tubby Colella, Jack
Ellis and Ray Preiss. Since the theme this year was “Ain’t That
America,” that song played at the beginning and end of the Karaoke
music and live singing. The show also included a Blues Brothers
act, and Kathy O’Mara played songs on the organ.
The mood was sad in the beginning of the show with Keven Abbott
and Elizabeth Fesenmyer singing “America, the Beautiful.” After
Christa Scheler sang “The Way We Were,” the theme of the show
switched to the old-type rock ‘n roll songs.
“We started in a sad mode but then brought happiness back,” Hoy
said. “Those stubborn to come back came back when the Blues
Brothers came on.”
Hoy said this was the first time at the car show for Brian
Cullen, DJ for the event, from Limestone, N.Y. Hoy said he knew
Cullen from Summerfest.
“He’s done a good job,” Hoy said.
Reactions were good from those participating and those who came
to check out the cars.
“Beautiful job you did,” Roger Moyar from Allegany, N.Y., said
to Hoy. “The Blues Brothers were fantastic.”
“Every year it gets better and better,” Ed Ensell of Allegany,
N.Y., said.
Jay Stockton of Rew, who entered a 1971 Plymouth Duster into the
car show, had taken part in the show during all seven years of its
existence.
“There’s lots of cars you don’t see every day,” Stockton said.
“We had nice days two years in a row. It’s relaxing.”
Stockton has participated in other car shows in the area,
including ones in Smethport, Otto, Coudersport and Kane.
“Main Street makes it neat,” Stockton said about the show in
comparison to the others he has been a part of. “It’s a perfect
location with lots of room.”
A group from Jamestown, N.Y., that had entered into the show for
the first time this year included C.S. Terry, Tom Tutmaherei and B.
Bush, who entered a 1984 Buick Grand National. They have
participated mainly in car shows in the Jamestown area.
“There’s lots of different cars here,” Terry, who entered a 1968
GMC Truck, said. “There’s more Buicks here than at other
shows.”
“It’s nice being in town instead of in a field,” Tutmaherei, who
entered a 1970 Buick GS-Stage 1, said.
Pete Quattrone, along with Pat Quattrone, entered a 1950 Ford
Coupe for the first time in this particular show.
“It’s nice and relaxed,” Quattrone said. “They don’t go
overboard with the show. I like it that way.”
There was also a food court and a craft show held from 9 a.m. to
4 p.m. Sunday on Main Street with about 20 vendors behind the new
parking area behind National City Bank.
The weekend kicked off with a pre-show Dancin’ in the Street
held at 6 p.m. Saturday at Veterans Square. A couple members of the
Pace Car Club of America were at the dance. Members of this club
buy cars that were used to lead laps at the Daytona 500.
There was also a Lil’ Miss Street Dreams contest. The winner was
crowned at the show, with a 1948 Plymouth Special Deluxe Police Car
bringing the winner’s name to the stage, accompanied by “Barbie,”
Bradford City Police Sgt. Mike Close and Don Thierman, owner of the
police car.
The new Lil’ Miss Street Dreams will attend various functions
and parades. All proceeds from the contest are donated to the
Make-A-Wish Foundation.
