Robert Winston last year with his 1923 Model T Ford that he modified into a 1950s-type, T-Bucket, street rod.
The 26th annual Labor Day Car Show is slated for Monday, Sept. 1, from 8 a.m.-2 p.m., in downtown Fairfax City. A wide array of cars, trucks and motorcycles will be on display along University Drive, between Sager and Armstrong Streets, and in the adjacent parking lots.
It’s put on jointly by the City of Fairfax and the Clifton Lions Club, and it happens rain or shine. The fun also includes food, live music and an awards ceremony, and all the proceeds go to charity.
Entry and parking are free, but tax-deductible donations are accepted and mainly benefit the Cloverleaf Equine Center (formerly called the Northern Virginia Therapeutic Riding Program; see https://www.cloverleafequinecenter.org) and Inova Hospital System’s Life with Cancer www.lifewithcancer.org.
People may register vehicles to participate at www.labordaycarshow.org. The entry fee to display a vehicle is $25, and any type of vehicle is welcome to participate. Pre-show registrations must be received by Aug. 27. However, vehicles may also be registered the day of the event outside Fire Station 3 at 4081 University Drive, starting at 6 a.m.
The show features a large range of vehicles, including hot rods from the 1940s and ’50s, muscle cars like Mustangs, Corvettes and Ford GTs, and foreign cars such as Jaguars, Mercedes, Porsches and Bentleys. Trucks, antique cars from the 1920s and ’30s, plus classic, custom and brand-new cars will be on display, too, as will motorcycles.
There’ll be vendor booths and raffles, as well, plus music by the Eclectic Company band. And at 11:30 a.m. there will be a special ceremony at the fire station, featuring Fairfax City’s American Legion Post 177 Color Guard, local dignitaries and the singing of the National Anthem.
Also in that area will be food and beverages for sale. Lions Club members will be grilling and selling hot dogs, hamburgers and Italian sausage. The always popular Inside Scoop ice cream truck and Rita’s Italian Ice will offer refreshing treats, and the Scouts will be selling water. In addition, Kelly’s Oyster House, The Auld Shebeen, DeClieu Coffee & Sandwiches, and some other restaurants in Old Town Fairfax will be open.
Over the car show’s 25-year history, it’s raised more than $750,000 for charity. This year marks the 10th time it’s been held in Fairfax, and the organizers anticipate this year’s event will yield another $50,000. And all of that money is given directly to the recipient charities, since this event has no administrative costs – everyone’s a volunteer.
Besides contributing to the two primary charities, car-show proceeds will also benefit American Legion Post 177; Main Street Child Development Center; A Place to Eat which supports the food pantries at all four Fairfax City schools; and Mended Little Hearts, which supports children with congenital heart defects. In addition, donations are usually given to the City of Fairfax fire and police departments.
Even the funds from the Clifton Lions Club food sales that day go to the many charities the club supports. Volunteers will also collect donations at University Drive and Armstrong Street.
More than 30 trophies will be awarded to the various vehicles, with most of the winners selected by the spectators viewing them. Participants will vote on the top cars, including Best of Show. There’ll also be Mayor’s, Kids’, Ladies’ and People’s Choice trophies, one each for Best Motorcycle and Best Truck, and a Buddy Morrissette Memorial Trophy. Morrissette died in December 2016, but he helped put on this show for years.
All the voting will be done electronically. Every car will have a QR Code in its window, and people may just scan it on their phones to vote online for their favorites. The vehicle owners come from Maryland, North Carolina, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Virginia and beyond to show their cars to an appreciative crowd.
Those unable to attend the event, but wishing to help by making a contribution may do so either via PayPal at https://www.labordaycarshow.org/make-a-donation or by sending a check, payable to the Clifton Lions Club, to: Clifton Lions Club, P.O. Box 41, Clifton, VA 20124.
Sponsorships and vendor opportunities are also available. Contact the Labor Day Car Show Committee at CarShowMgmt@gmail.com.
Event Co-Chairmen are Lions Club Past President Bill Poole and City Councilmember Jeff Greenfield, with help from Mitzi Taylor and Deanna Payne of the Fairfax City Parks and Rec Department, plus the entire Clifton Lions membership. Their committee works all year ‘round planning the show.
“We had 371 vehicles on display last year; and if we have nice weather, we hope for a record-breaking number of at least 400, this year,” said Poole. “But regardless, we’ll have a successful event and look forward to continuing our financial donations to the charities we support.”
He’s also excited about something else. Said Poole, “Like a kid in high school, I love to hear the loud hot rods driving to their parking spots before the show, and the smell of their high-octane fuel.”
As for Greenfield, he said, “It’s a family-friendly event where you’ll see modern, antique and classic cars, along with brand-new, just-rolled-off-the-showroom-floor vehicles from some of our sponsors. And I love seeing kids looking at the cars and hearing their grandpas say, ‘That was my first car.’”
The section of University Drive where the vehicles are displayed will be closed to traffic from 6 a.m.-3 p.m. But attendees will find lots of free parking available nearby, including in the City’s multi-level parking garage, also on University, across from the library. For further information about the event, go to www.labordaycarshow.org.