How to go
What: Mother’s Day Car Show
When: 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday May 8
Where: Smith Park, 500 Tytus Ave. Middletown
Cost: $15 entry fee
MIDDLETOWN — At first glance, Mother’s Day and a car show might seem to be a strange mix, but the Mother’s Day Car Show at Smith Park has been stirring together moms and motors for 25 years now.
The show will run from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday, with proceeds benefitting the Shriners Burn hospitals.
When the event was first held, however, a different organization ran it, and the date was mostly a matter of convenience.
“It started with the Knights of Columbus, and they ran it for two years. They had a shortage of manpower and we (the Shriners) have been doing it ever since,” said Richard Augsberger, the chairman of the event.
“At the time when the Knights of Columbus had it, (Mother’s Day) was the only time the city could let them have the park free of charge,” he said.
Dates surrounding that weekend tended to be booked with soccer games and other events.
Therefore, once the Mother’s Day date was established, it stuck.
“A lot of it was that people know about us, and this is one of the first big car shows of the year,’’ Augsberger said.
‘‘If we moved it, we’d have 50 or 60 cars showing up and people asking ‘What happened to the car show?’ ” Augsberger said.
Jackie Bame, who helps with the registration of the vehicles, said of the event: “I enjoy it. It’s fun. I enjoy going to car shows to begin with ... this one stands out because it’s for a good cause.’’
Turnout varies depending on the weather; Sunday’s forecast calls for a 40 percent chance of thunderstorms with a high near 72.
Typically the event raises $8,000 to $9,000 for the Shriners and draws 250 to 450 cars, Augsberger said.
The entry fee is $15 per vehicle, and awards will be given out in several categories.
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