(Photo by Will Dendis)
Even if you’re not a motorhead, it’s always a sign of summertime having arrived when you suddenly see an unusual concentration of classic automobiles popping up on the local roads. That usually signifies that a car show is about to happen nearby, of course; and what’s called the Best Little Car Show in the Northeast is about to roll into Saugerties, for its 15th outing.
A lifelong car hobbyist, Bob Siracusano instituted the Sawyer Motors Car Show in 2004, and the annual event has been gaining momentum ever since. Since he’s a civic-minded guy, Siracusano doesn’t stage his show in a fairground or some big empty lot on the edge of nowhere. Early on, he persuaded town officials to shut down traffic through downtown Saugerties for the five-hour duration of the show – and now it’s a local tradition. Part of the deal is that local shops, bars and restaurants get all the tourist dollars generated by the show; no outside vendors are brought in. So it’s a community win/win.
For several blocks around the event’s epicenter at the intersection of Main and Partition Streets, more than 500 vehicles – hot rods, classics, antiques, muscle cars – will be parked along the curbside.
Scheduled performers this year include a Frankie Valli tribute band called Lights Out, regional classic-rock faves Hot Rod, the highly regarded Paul Luke Band, the Oldies Show, Roadhouse, the Greyhounds and Cherished Memories. There will be kids’ activities as well.
It all goes on from 1 to 6 p.m. on Sunday, July 8. But you’ll probably want to arrive early – partly to find a place to park outside the closed-off streets, and partly to enjoy the procession of fabulous flivvers as they roll up to take their places. Fifty trophies will be handed out by the end of the afternoon.
If you’ve got a car that you want to show off, you can register it online at www.sawyermotorscarshow.com. Fees range from $25 to $100 per vehicle, and all proceeds get donated to a local charitable cause – a different one each year. Spectators get in free. To learn more, call (845) 246-3412.
Sawyer Motors Car Show, Sunday, July 8, 1-6 p.m., free, Main/Partition Streets, Saugerties; (845) 246-3412, www.sawyermotorscarshow.com.
