Due to growing popularity, the Saratoga Springs Auto Museum has added a second day to their 2009 Auto Show scheduled for May 16 and 17.
For years the Auto Show was just a one-day event where auto enthusiasts
from across the Northeast converged to view hundreds of classic, muscle
and exotic cars on the museum's show field located on the Avenue of the
Pines in Saratoga's Spa State Park. However, while museum personnel
were visiting some of the nation's biggest car shows in Florida and
California this past year, they were surprised to hear enthusiasm for
the museum and the 15 different shows they hold each year.
"We kept hearing people talk about our museum and our events, and we started to think, 'how can we add an extra day to the Auto Show?'" Alan Edstrom, director of programs and events at the Saratoga Auto Museum, said.
What the museum came up with was the inaugural Saratoga Invitational to be held on the Saturday before the Auto Show. The event will feature a collection of 24 elegant pre-war automobiles with a focus on pre-war racers to be judged by journalist Ken Gross and Al McEwan, both of whom are renowned experts who have judged other major car shows in the past. The museum will also feature 60 other cars which will serve as a preview of the lawn shows the museum holds throughout the summer months. There will also be art and automobile vendors, not to mention food from the Town of Greenfield Lion's Club and Sandie's Smokehouse.
The museum will also feature a number of special events to coincide with the invitational, including tours of the museum's new exhibit, "Mid-Century Marvels: Great Cars from the 1950s to 1960s, The Dennis Dammerman Collection" at 10 a.m. and a Saratoga to Lake George Classic Car Rally which will include 60 classic cars, an interesting route, lunch and conversations with fellow enthusiasts.
While the Saratoga Invitational will be sure to spark interest among car enthusiasts, the 2009 Saratoga Auto Show will certainly be the highlight of the weekend as hundreds of unique cars will be showcased on the museum's lawn on Sunday.
Edstrom said what separates the Saratoga Auto Show from others like it in the nation is the variety of cars that people in attendance will be able to view.
"At our show we have great variety of cars that you can't find anywhere else, which is not good or bad, but where else can you see a Duesenberg, a Bugatti and a GTO on the grounds at the same time including other classic cars," Edstrom said.
Aside from all the great cars on display, the auto show will also feature attractions for the young and the young-at-heart, including the Price Chopper Hopper, race car simulators and the original Batmobile from the 1960s TV show "Batman."
Edstrom added that while the spiraling economy has been detrimental to many Americans, the auto show is a great opportunity for people to take advantage of an inexpensive weekend of entertainment.
"With the economy being the way it is, what we are trying to do is give people a bigger bang for their buck," Edstrom said. "I mean where else can you go eat, see some great cars, play on some stuff, do race car simulators and see the Batmobile with the whole family for $20 for two-days."
All of the proceeds from the Saratoga Invitational and Auto Show will also go towards supporting the museum's educational programs and exhibits. Throughout the years the museum has received a grant to bring in 5,000 students to the museum each year free of charge. Edstrom said the museum's goal is to up the number of students from 5,000 to 10,000, including finding ways to accommodate transportation for the students due to cuts schools are currently making to their bus garages. He added that they also have designs to create an educational workshop called "Sam's Garage," which will be an interactive educational platform for kids where they can learn how to change oil, tires and a variety of other basic car maintenance.
The 2009 Saratoga Invitational and Auto Show will take place on Saturday, May 16 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday, May 17 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. A two-day adult pass is $15 and children 7-17 are $5. One day passes are also available for $8 for adults and $5 for children 7-17, and two-day family packs can be purchased for $20. Children under six get in free.
For more information on the 2009 Saratoga Invitational and Auto Show, visit www.saratogaauto-museum.org.
"We kept hearing people talk about our museum and our events, and we started to think, 'how can we add an extra day to the Auto Show?'" Alan Edstrom, director of programs and events at the Saratoga Auto Museum, said.
What the museum came up with was the inaugural Saratoga Invitational to be held on the Saturday before the Auto Show. The event will feature a collection of 24 elegant pre-war automobiles with a focus on pre-war racers to be judged by journalist Ken Gross and Al McEwan, both of whom are renowned experts who have judged other major car shows in the past. The museum will also feature 60 other cars which will serve as a preview of the lawn shows the museum holds throughout the summer months. There will also be art and automobile vendors, not to mention food from the Town of Greenfield Lion's Club and Sandie's Smokehouse.
The museum will also feature a number of special events to coincide with the invitational, including tours of the museum's new exhibit, "Mid-Century Marvels: Great Cars from the 1950s to 1960s, The Dennis Dammerman Collection" at 10 a.m. and a Saratoga to Lake George Classic Car Rally which will include 60 classic cars, an interesting route, lunch and conversations with fellow enthusiasts.
While the Saratoga Invitational will be sure to spark interest among car enthusiasts, the 2009 Saratoga Auto Show will certainly be the highlight of the weekend as hundreds of unique cars will be showcased on the museum's lawn on Sunday.
Edstrom said what separates the Saratoga Auto Show from others like it in the nation is the variety of cars that people in attendance will be able to view.
"At our show we have great variety of cars that you can't find anywhere else, which is not good or bad, but where else can you see a Duesenberg, a Bugatti and a GTO on the grounds at the same time including other classic cars," Edstrom said.
Aside from all the great cars on display, the auto show will also feature attractions for the young and the young-at-heart, including the Price Chopper Hopper, race car simulators and the original Batmobile from the 1960s TV show "Batman."
Edstrom added that while the spiraling economy has been detrimental to many Americans, the auto show is a great opportunity for people to take advantage of an inexpensive weekend of entertainment.
"With the economy being the way it is, what we are trying to do is give people a bigger bang for their buck," Edstrom said. "I mean where else can you go eat, see some great cars, play on some stuff, do race car simulators and see the Batmobile with the whole family for $20 for two-days."
All of the proceeds from the Saratoga Invitational and Auto Show will also go towards supporting the museum's educational programs and exhibits. Throughout the years the museum has received a grant to bring in 5,000 students to the museum each year free of charge. Edstrom said the museum's goal is to up the number of students from 5,000 to 10,000, including finding ways to accommodate transportation for the students due to cuts schools are currently making to their bus garages. He added that they also have designs to create an educational workshop called "Sam's Garage," which will be an interactive educational platform for kids where they can learn how to change oil, tires and a variety of other basic car maintenance.
The 2009 Saratoga Invitational and Auto Show will take place on Saturday, May 16 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday, May 17 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. A two-day adult pass is $15 and children 7-17 are $5. One day passes are also available for $8 for adults and $5 for children 7-17, and two-day family packs can be purchased for $20. Children under six get in free.
For more information on the 2009 Saratoga Invitational and Auto Show, visit www.saratogaauto-museum.org.
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