26 years ago two long-time car guys,Tommy Hicks and Bob Steele from Clay Co. got togather on the way back from a car show and came up with the idea of having a Car Show in Clay Co. with the benefits going to the Shrine Hospital.There had been a number of kids that had been severly burnedand received care at the Shrine Hospital so this seemed like a worthy cause we could both support. At the time a large car show was 100 cars but we kept talking of a vision of a car show of 500 cars--everyone thought we were crazy but we printed flyers and passed them out at every show we attended and at our 1st show we had 100 cars. We had a lot of growing pains thoes early years and every year after the show we would get togather and swear that would be the last one but as we talked about what we could change to make it better and bigger we started planning for the next year. The local Shrine club did the Bar B Q thoes 1st years and did an excelent job but as their members grew older and the show grew larger it was impossible to serve that many people so the last few years we made a special effort to have the best outside food vendors we could find and have some of the best and biggest variety you will find at any car show. They all want to come back the next year and it's now -invitation only for all of our food vendors. About the 3rd year out we quit putting cars in classes to judge, then as we grew still larger, we decided not to judge at all and use the money we spent on trophies for our famous MONEY TREE. Each car gets a regrestration number and at the end of the show we draw numbers and you get to pull an envelope off the MONEY TREE. There will be envelopes with $50, $100, $300, and great prizes like a set of tires and whatever large prizes we can get doanated, over $1500 in all. This puts everyone on an equal playing field no matter if you have a Rolls- Royce or a rat rod, and we have both. After all how many trophies do you need, and everyone can use the money. When you drive in we have two lines--have your $20 ready and the girls will hand you your goodie bag, dash plaque, and regeristration number and you drive thru and park, how easy is that ? Speaking of DASH PLAQUES, we strive to have the nicest 5 color DASH PLAQUE you will get at any show.Some folks have all the past DASH PLAQUES as a badge of honor for vattending every show. The last 3 years we have had over 800 cars-trucks-motorcycles and have cars from at least five states. CAR PARTS VENDORS 1st started out with Tommy and me and a few other guys cleaning out our garage and bringing spare parts. It grew every year and some of the major parts vendors said that if we had a 2 day swap meet they would come, so we did, now we have big vendors come in on Thursday and set up making our swap meet the biggest in Alabama along with the largert one day car show in Alabama. Arts/craft vendors with local hand-made items have always been a big hit with the ladies--they have always been here for the car show but we see more and more making it a two day event both Saterday and Sunday. The most common thing people tell us is "if I could only go to one car show a year, this would be it". It's not just a CAR SHOW , it's a happening, It's a blast for the whole family. We could not have grown like we have with you and we thank you for comming and for telling folks about our show.THIS YEAR BEING OUR 25TH we want to shoot for 1000 cars.
