-
(ARCHIVE PHOTO | THE GRAHAM LEADER) A group gathers around a vehicle shown off at the 12th annual Cars and Stars car show on the Graham downtown square. The event was canceled last year, but will be returning to the square from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 12. -
(ARCHIVE PHOTO | THE GRAHAM LEADER) Vehicles lined up on the inside of the square on Fourth Street for the 12th annual Cars and Stars car show. The show was canceled last year, but will be returning to the same location Saturday, Oct. 12. -
(ARCHIVE PHOTO | THE GRAHAM LEADER) A judge in the 12th annual Cars and Stars car show writes down on a scorecard. The event this year will return downtown Saturday, Oct. 12, with registration opening at 8 a.m. -
(ARCHIVE PHOTO | THE GRAHAM LEADER) A 1977 Pontiac Trans Am SE shown off at the 12th annual Cars and Stars car show on the Graham downtown square. The event will return this year next weekend from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 12.
After canceling the event last year, the annual Cars and Stars car show will return burning rubber on the downtown square next weekend.
The event will be held Saturday, Oct. 12 on the square with registration opening at 8 a.m. The car show has 25 classes of vehicles with everything from rat rods all the way to modified cars spanning multiple years.
“We missed last year... and we brought it back because so many people asked us to... and (said) they missed it. So this year, we changed the date later, so it’ll be cooler so it won’t be so hot. One of the complaints from the prior years was that it was just so hot,” event organizer Danny Sinyard said.
The last event was canceled due to problems with attracting sponsorship and volunteers. Sinyard said the event was downsized this year, and some modifications were made to the judged classes.
“We still have a variety of classes. We had to change up because we put a lot of the newer, modern stuff into the car show,” he said. “The younger generation can’t go buy the old classic cars, so they’re (entering) the older Camaros, Mustangs, Challengers and Chargers.”
The event organizer said that younger generations are starting to be interested in building vehicles, but the older generation muscle cars are not within their budgets.
“They’re buying the modern ones and then they’re changing them as we did with the older cars, to make them their own (and) unique,” Sinyard said. “That’s what’s pretty awesome is we can see it evolving. …We all like the older muscles (cars of the) 60s and 70s, but the price range and the work and everything else is different compared to going and buying a 2000 model vehicle. They’re more available and to change them and customize them, stuff is always out there.”
One of the features with the car show in previous years was a burnout competition, which will not happen with the event this year.
“We got away from the burnout contest and we did not do it this year because in the prior years we were actually losing money holding the event, because people weren’t wanting to volunteer or participate in it,” Sinyard said. “...With the burnout contest, we were going to do two categories, which is a backyard category (and) professional, but with no responses we just can’t support it.”
Judging for the event is done from a team from Abilene hired by the organizers and scored on a point system.
“They judge the car shows and it goes by the paint, your interior, the cleanliness of a vehicle, and, of course, the engine. ...As they go by and judge the vehicle, they rate it from one to 10 and then we add all the scores together and that’s how we get the total to see who places first or second,” Sinyard said.
All the proceeds from the event this year will benefit Open Door Christian School’s Building Fund for a multipurpose facility.
For more information, or to register a vehicle, visit the Cars and Stars Facebook page.
