It won’t solely be teenagers cruising Main Street this weekend; car aficionados from around the Western United States are in town to show off their fancy vintage vehicles at the 25th annual April Action Moab Car Show.
Like every year, a throng of spectators will line Main Street, setting up lawn chairs and opening tailgates to watch the classic restored cars and trucks drive through town on the evenings of Friday, April 28, and Saturday, April 29.
At least 400 cars from around the region will be on display Saturday at Swanny City Park from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. The oldest car expected is a 1916 Ford Model T. Event director John Fogg will be entering his own 1969 Shelby GT500 in the show.
Fogg is one of the original “Moab Rod Benders,” a local car club formed in 1991. The group organized a car show the following year with 200 participating cars. The show has grown every year since.
“Every year it gets a little bigger,” Fogg said. “The maximum (for space) is 500 – we’re close to that.”
At past shows, Moab resident Joe Kingsley said he has seen everything from a large steam-engine pickup to “concept” cars from General Motors “so people can see what a car of the future could look like from GM.”
“People who come on a regular basis reconnect with friends from years’ past and talk about their cars – it’s part of the fun,” Kingsley said.
Adding to Saturday’s festivities, from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m., will be live music by Kitty and the Cruisers, who will perform classic rock ‘n’ roll music, including songs from the 1950s and 1960s. People are invited to come dressed in their favorite “sock hop” apparel for the costume and dance contest.
The award ceremony (there are 34 trophy classifications) will take place on Sunday at 9 a.m. Only the award-winning vehicles will be displayed at the park that day.
“We’ll have a trophy for every decade – 1900 to 1910, and so on, all the way to 2017,” Fogg said.
The annual car show is currently sponsored by the Moab Rotary Club and is a fundraiser for the Moab Free Health Clinic, a nonprofit providing health-care services for the community’s uninsured and underinsured. While admission to the car show is free for spectators, money for the health clinic is raised through car entry fees, and a portion of vendor proceeds.
“We try and raise $25,000 to $30,000 each year from sponsorships,” Moab Rotary Club President Dave Bierschied said.
Several Moab businesses and organizations also donate money to sponsor the event and help fund the clinic.
Various vendors will be at the event selling food, such as hot dogs, ice cream, popcorn and nuts. Additionally, the Lions Club will have burgers and chips for sale, and the UFW will serve tacos.
A dinosaur statue from Moab Giants Dinosaur Park will also be parked at the event, along with vendors promoting various car-related services such as powder tech coating, and cleaning.
The weekend will close on Sunday after the awards ceremony with a group “Rod Run” drive to Dead Horse Point State Park at 10 a.m.
“The whole town turns out,” to watch the cars cruising Main Street, Fogg said. “Car people appreciate that, and the opportunity to show off their cars.”
“It’s a passion,” Kingsley added. “These people love their cars.”
Moab car show raises funds for free health clinic
What: 25th annual April Action Moab Car Show
When: Friday, April 28; Saturday, April 29; and Sunday, April 30
Where: Swanny City Park, 400 N. 100 West
Cost: Free for spectators
Information: 435-260-1948; www.moabcarshow.org
For more information, go to: www.moabcarshow.org, or call 435-260-1948.
