THE BALLOON MAN

Vicksburg Old Car Festival kicks off Friday; circus planned for Sunday


 

MLive/Kalamazoo Gazette file
The Vicksburg Old Car Festival in 2010.
by Tom Haroldson 
Special to the Kalamazoo Gazette 
June 06, 2012
VICKSBURG, MI — At least 1,200 vintage vehicles, 10,000 people and the circus will be coming to Vicksburg this weekend.
It’s the 32nd annual Vicksburg Old Car Festival Friday and Saturday, and along with the regular appearance of old cars and trucks will be a circus brought into town as a fundraiser by the Vicksburg Rotary Club on Sunday.
“We’re working with the Rotary to help promote the circus,” said Virgil “Skip” Knowles, organizer of the Vicksburg Old Car Festival along with his wife Carol. “It’s a car festival weekend and we think the circus is an added draw to bring people to the village.”


The Vicksburg Old Car Festival, sponsored by the Vicksburg Community Association, draws on the strength of more than 130 volunteers to put on a big event in the small town. 


Vehicles of all makes, colors, years and sizes pull into town and park all over the downtown area. People walk the streets to look at the jalopies and muscle cars, or take advantage of various other activities around town including an arts and crafts show in Clark Park, touring restored buildings at the Vicksburg Historic Village, having a pancake breakfast at the fire station, ice cream social and chicken dinner at the Vicksburg United Methodist Church or buying a used book at the Vicksburg District Library.


It all starts Friday with Cruise the Drive-In from 6-10 p.m. Basically people drive around downtown in their old cars and trucks and take part in a vintage ‘50s drive-in reminiscent of the movie “American Graffiti.”


On Saturday, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., the festival pops the clutch in anywhere from 500 to 1,200 hotrods, souped-up jalopies, historic-vintage vehicles like the Model T and a few other unusual motorcars and trucks. The vehicles come from several states.


Returning this year is Irv Gordon of New York, who is in the Guinness Book of Records for his 1966 Volvo that has nearly three million miles. Gordon has been seen on various network programs and in national publications, and has come to the Vicksburg festival several times, though he missed last year.


“Irv is an old friend of the old car fest,” Knowles said. “I joke that we’re the ones who made him famous.”


This year the Midwest regional meeting of Hudson car owners — an automobile started by the J.L. Hudson family and featuring the Wasp and Hornet — will be in Kalamazoo and it’s likely they will be having a driving tour through Vicksburg sometime in the early afternoon.


“They asked if we could reserve some parking for them and I said absolutely,” Knowles said. “They will have a special spot on North Main Street near the Corvette Chorale.”


Live music is also a regular activity for the festival and this year will mark the return of a northern Indiana popular ‘60s band called the Kingpins. They will be playing on Saturday along with the Vicksburg High School Jazz Band.


As always, the festival is free. Knowles said that families can come, pack a lunch and not have to spend a dime.


“You don’t need any money to have a good time here,” he said.


You will need money to attend the circus, though. The Vicksburg Rotary Club is bringing the Culpepper & Merriweather Circus — big-top and animals — to the old elementary school playground on South Kalamazoo Avenue for two shows at 2 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. Tickets are $6 and $9 in advance and can be purchased at the old car festival and from Rotary members. At the door, tickets will be $7 and $12.


The fundraiser is a chance to take advantage of the old car festival’s draw of people to downtown, said David Aubry, representing the Rotary Club. It will feature hour and a half circus performances under Big Top. People can come in the morning from 9- 9:30 a.m. to see the set up.


“The last time circus was in town was 20 years ago,” Aubry said. “It’s going to be a huge weekend in Vicksburg.”