1th annual AARP Dulles Classic Car Show

Sunday we left Stafford at 6AM and cruised 38 miles and met up with Lou & Arlene in Gainesville, VA then continued our cruise for 22 more miles to Herndon, VA and the 11^th Annual Herndon Classic Car Show sponsored by the Dulles Area Chapter of AARP.  This is one of the most fun shows we do all year.  When we arrived at 7:23 there were already 15 cars parked!  Two were in “our” parking spots!  What to do….?  The staff member was trying to make us park down the street but we really didn’t want to go there.  So we decided to park across the street from “our” parking spaces….I could tell the staff guy was not happy with our decision but he helped us get lined up like he wanted and left us.  I put on events myself and I know the value of parking people where YOU want them to be….but sometimes you have to consider letting people park where THEY want to park to keep happy campers.  If we hadn’t been able to park where we wanted it would have made the day much less enjoyable for us.  So….where we ended up turned out to be better than our previous place and it will now be our new parking place for next year….I think we will be there by 6:30 next time!

The event has something going on all day along with the vehicle show.  The 50’s dancers were a hoot and the strolling Dominion Singers were great. Jimmy’s Old Town Tavern had ladies from the NOVA Roller Derby Team dressed in 50’s attire, on roller skates taking food orders.  Then they would bring them back to where ever you were sitting!  Kinda cool!  There were a couple other vendors and the Dairy Queen was open for business too.  Wiygul Automotive Clinic was the major sponsor. 

The quality of the vehicles is really top notch at this show and since the weather was superb many very nice cars came out.  There was a nice yellow ’55 Chevy post and a couple ’57 Chevys too.  Jason’s orange 50 something Caddie wowed everyone and the candy red Merc lead sled was present to collect his trophy.  I met a man I had not seen since the late 70’s when I was with Ryland Homes….he was working for one of our plumbing contractors and I recognized him almost instantly….good connection after all these years….I’m sure I will see Mike again at another event.  His black ‘55/’56 Ford post was nicely done and….it had a 6 cyl motor!  It even had speed equipment of the period and nice ceramic coated headers….a very nice build!  I also liked the green ’34 Ford sedan, the nicest I’ve seen.  Lou & Arlene took the theme of the show to new heights by dressing like something right out of Happy Days!  And their red ’53 Ford convertible just added to the scene…. 

We really enjoyed the day….good weather….good food….good friends….I love this hobby!