Autumn Leaves car show this Sunday

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By Jaime Thomas

Cruising in to Granville and welcoming fall this weekend is one of the area’s most popular events—the Autumn Leaves Car Show.

All sorts of cars will come to town for the 27th annual event this Sunday, Sept. 29, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The Granville Area Chamber of Commerce-sponsored event, which takes place at the elementary school, features auto trivia, a chicken barbeque, hot dogs, ice cream, live music and of course, cars.

“We’re expecting a good turnout; we’ve had a good response so far,” said Steve Saltis, chamber president.

The show has seen an average attendance of 200 cars in recent years and is currently set up for up to 225 vehicles.

“If the weather is good, we could easily have that many,” said Denise Davies, chamber secretary and event organizer. She and Saltis said they’re crossing their fingers for conditions to cooperate.

“It’s a very weather-dependent event; if the weather is good, we’re all set,” she said, pointing out that last year was disappointing, but only because it wasn’t nice out.

A whole range of categories will be open to car owners and enthusiasts, from factory muscle through 1978 to personalized stock non-GM. To go with the variety of classes at the show will be attendees from various communities.

“People come from all over—this is one of the things they like doing in the fall,” she said. Everyone who enters a car will receive a dash plaque and a goodie bag with a commemorative t-shirt, part of what draws people in to the show, Davies said.

“The shirt has the show logo on the front and sponsors on the back. It’s a bright, bright yellow. It’s a nice promotion for businesses and a nice way to promote the event,” she said, adding that the slate plaque awards are fitting for the area. “That’s one of the things that makes it unique, the plaques—this is the colored slate capital of the world.”

Other giveaways will include an iPad mini, a Kindle Fire, other door prizes, 15 special awards and 13 major sponsor awards.

Davies said there are a lot of people helping out at the event this year, in such areas as parking and registration. And registration, which had some kinks in the past, should be very easy this year.

“We changed the registration format a few years ago, and now it’s a lot smoother registration,” Davies said. In another unique aspect of the show there will be participant judging, which attendees seem to like.

And the show will feature more than just cars; there will be music, an Adopt-A-Soldier booth and information from other chambers.

Instead of a 50/50 raffle, there will be a duck for a buck, with a winner keeping half of the proceeds. The American Legion will be on hand with coffee and doughnuts in the morning, hot dogs and hamburgers in the afternoon and soda and water throughout the day. Stewart’s Shops will be selling ice cream.

This is the chamber’s major fundraiser of the year; proceeds go toward programs the chamber puts on for the community, so Saltis is hoping to see a large turnout of cars and car-lovers.

“There are a lot of people that put a lot of time into this, so we’re hoping it’ll be a good event,” he said.

Admission to the show is $3 for adults and free for those 15 and younger. The entry fee, which includes a t-shirt, $50 gas card raffle ticket and two door prize raffle tickets, is $20.

Entry registration is from 8 to 11 a.m. For more information call Chamber of Commerce President Steve Saltis at 642-1010 or visit granvillechamber.com.