Saturday In Springdale

Car shows bring new life to changing downtown

What two things would surely bring people of all walks of life together? Coffee and classic cars are a sure enough bet.

For the past couple of years, the Springdale Chamber of Commerce has used Coffee and Cars, a monthly car show, to gather people in downtown Springdale for food, conversation and free coffee from local Pontiac Coffee House.

FAQ

Coffee and Cars

WHEN — 8:30 a.m. Saturday

WHERE —Downtown Springdale, corner of Emma Avenue and Spring Street

COST — Free

INFO — 872-2222

The event is free and open to the public in the hopes that more people will spend some time in quickly evolving downtown Springdale.

"We hope it's bringing awareness to what's going on downtown and getting people here to check out the businesses," says Caroline Reddmann, director of visitor relations at the Springdale Chamber. "It's just a free, fun event on Saturday that families can come to and enjoy."

Each mini car show takes place in the Dent-A-Med parking lot (the corner of Emma Avenue and Spring Street) on the first Saturday of the month, from April through October.

The first few were meager, with only 10 cars to show -- five of those being from Rick Evans of Everett Chrysler Dodge, who helped organize the event. But it quickly grew to include regional car clubs, like the Foothills of the Ozarks, and local car enthusiasts. Now, some shows turn out as many as 80 vehicles that press the limits of the location.

"We like to have a variety because you see all age ranges come through," Reddmann says. "Everybody [likes] something different, but it's nice to be able to appreciate some [car style, model] you'd never given much thought."

The only requirement for registration is showing up with your classic car and filling out a form. Though antique cars are the most common, she says, recent shows have included more and more newer vehicles, as younger folks became more involved.

"It encourages people to talk to each other, ask questions and just be really impressed by something different."

Frequent visitors include a 1960s Bentley, several old Ford Coupes and most recently a 1976 Lincoln Continental that resembles Johnny Cash's car. Now that more people know about the event, Reddmann says, the variety just keeps growing. Some visitors have dice on the rear-view mirror, ghostbuster hubcaps or supplement an already unique vehicle -- like a 1950s ambulance -- with props, like alien and nurse [mannequin] passengers.

At the very least, it's a great start to a lazy and enjoyable Saturday.

-- April Robertson

arobertson@nwadg.com

NAN What's Up on 09/04/2015

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