By Jay A. Follis
Brought to you by the Kalamazoo Antique Auto Restorers Club, the RED BARNS SPECTACULAR is the most anticipated show of the season. Hailed as West Michigan’s “Grand Daddy” of all antique, classic and special interest car shows, it is one BIG day with two HUGE shows.
The area’s oldest and largest antique, classic, and special interest car show and swap meet featuring vehicles of all eras from 1992 and earlier takes place at the Gilmore Car Museum on Saturday, August 5th.
Both the Judged Car Show field and Driver’s Choice Show field are open to all vehicles 25 years or older, including cars, trucks, commercial vehicles, vintage campers, military vehicles, fire trucks and boats.
Thousands of cars will be on display, along with special areas for antique campers and the Tin Can Tourists, cars for sale, antique boats, and vintage bicycles. Plus, check out over 300 onsite vendors and shop for those hard to find car parts, tools, literature, antiques, arts, crafts and more in the season’s largest swap meet. For more information, check out the Red Barns Spectacular’s Facebook page.
Celebrating its 37th year, the RED BARNS SPECTACULAR has been sponsored by the Kalamazoo Antique Auto Restorers Club (KAARC) and the Gilmore Car Museum since 1980.
“This is the event that folks wait all summer for,” said KAARC show chairperson Jim Holland. “The name says it all, it really is spectacular!”
At last year’s event, over 1,500 collector cars and more than 300 swap meet vendors, descended on the Gilmore Car Museum for what has been dubbed the “Granddaddy” of all area car shows.
Multiple generations now take part in the RED BARNS SPECTACULAR, either as participants vying for one of the nearly 100 trophies to be awarded in either the Judged Show or in the Driver’s Choice Show or as spectators reliving and making memories.
Whether you’re interested in antiques, classics, mid-century muscle cars, or prefer trucks, customs, street rods, or historic military vehicles, vintage boats or campers, this event will certainly not disappoint! Guests to the RED BARNS SPECTACULAR will be given access into the Gilmore Car Museum—North America’s largest auto museum—and its campus and exhibits at no extra charge.
Two new special exhibits just opened; “Designed for Delivery—the History of the American Truck” featuring 22 incredible trucks from 1907 to 1963; and “Kalamazoo — The Other Motorcity,” showcasing Kalamazoo built autos such as the iconic Checker Cab, the Duesenberg-powered Roamer and the Cornelian racecar driven by Louis Chevrolet in the 1915 Indy 500.
The Gilmore Car Museum’s 90-acre historic campus, located 20 miles northeast of Kalamazoo, will be filled with antique, classic, and special interest autos, as well as customs, street rods and military vehicles.
Visitors will have the chance to step back in time, locate those hard-to-find parts for their restoration project, and even purchase a collector vehicle from the large cars for sale “corral” area. You’ll also find several vendors selling vintage auto-related memorabilia, general antiques, as well as arts and crafts. Guests will have the opportunity to enjoy a variety of old-time food concessions and visit the Museum’s authentic 1940s roadside eatery—George & Sally’s Blue Moon Diner.
Some highlights for this year’s event includes:
- See the Car and Meet the Team! The Gilmore Garage Works high school program will display the 1935 Packard that five teens just completed the 2,400-mile 2017 GREAT RACE in.
- A living history “Tin Can Tourist Camp,” featuring several dozen antique and vintage campers and trailers from throughout the Midwest, will be displayed on the Museum’s historic campus.
- “Boats at the Barns” is an amazing display area of antique boats and motors and, vintage wooden and classic fiberglass boats of all kinds—from barn-finds to stunningly restored.
- The noon traffic “jam” is when all show cars announce their presence by sounding their horns!
Gates will open to the public at 8am for this ever-popular family friendly event, which runs until 4pm, while the Museum remains open until 6pm. Discounted general admission for the day is only $12.00 per person, with those under 11 admitted FREE, and includes the car show and all the expanded Museum exhibit buildings.
To learn more about the Gilmore Car Museum and the Red Barns Spectacular, visit: www.GilmoreCarMuseum.org or call the Museum at 269.671.5089.
