Route 56 Classic Cruisers rev for annual car show Saturday
Staff writer
After a year off from COVID-19, the Route 56 Classic Cruisers’ annual car show will return Saturday to Hillsboro’s Memorial Park.
Kim Abrahams, president of Classic Cruisers and organizer of the event, estimates that 80 to 110 vehicles will show.
“We get car enthusiasts from all over the place,” Abrahams said. “We get cars from Topeka, Salina, Abilene, Wichita — one even comes from Oklahoma quite often, and one comes from Nebraska.”
The 24 members of the group will be showing their own cars as well. Abrahams hasn’t been working on his own cars; he’s been organizing the show.
“Right now, we’re dealing with trying to make arrangements with everything — getting the park set up, making sure it’s cleaned up, getting T-shirts and awards, and we advertise in a lot of different areas; Some of them I have to have in by November the year before to get advertisements in,” he said. “It takes quite a bit to put a show together.”
The majority of cars come from other car shows, where Abrahams passes out 2,200 to 2,300 flyers to car owners.
“That’s where we meet a lot of the guys, and that’s the best way to get ’em,” he said.
Something that makes the Hillsboro car show famous is its “victory lap.”
After awards are given, winners drive around the circle so people can see which vehicles won — and watch and hear the cars in action.
The event benefits Marion County Toy Run and Marion County Food Bank.
“For every car that registers, it’s a $20 entry fee and one can of food,” Abrahams said. “We try to help the county and community out.”
To Abrahams, that makes up for the pressure of organizing the event.
“At the end of the year, there’s a lot of smiling kids getting presents at Christmas time,” he said. “That’s worth it.”