Perfect weather, whopping 80 vehicles lead to successful Red Carpet Classic

Published 9:45 pm Saturday, April 23, 2016

Muscle cars, convertibles, motorcycles and pick up trucks were just some of the vehicles on display at the 10th Red Carpet Classic car show Saturday at Blackburn Motors.

“The weather couldn’t be better,” said Pete Dionne, Vicksburg Cruisers Car Club president.

The Vicksburg Cruisers Car Club hosted the car show as a fundraiser for Haven House Family Shelter.

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“All our proceeds above all our costs go to Haven House,” Dionne said.

The club has been putting in extra hours this weekend with the first drive-in movie night, which was held at the car dealership Friday. Dionne said the group wished the turn out had been a little bit better at the movie, but the number of people at the car show blew them away.

The group typically sees 50 to 60 cars in their show, but this year more than 80 cars were entered.

“That’s a phenomenal amount,” Dionne said. “We have people here from Jackson, Pearl, Clinton, Columbus, from down by Hattiesburg, Brookhaven.”

Friends Joe Dotson and Calvin Jackson of Port Gibson came to see the show.

This was Dotson’s third year to attended and Jackson’s first.

“We’re really enjoying ourselves,” Jackson said. “They’ve got some of everything out here. Anything that you can think of, they’ve got it out here. They’ve got cars I had never heard of before.”

Jackson said he saw some Dodge vehicles and a Pontiac muscle car that he liked.

Robert Barlow brought his blue 1968 Ford F100 Pickup truck and spent the day with his granddaughter, who played in the jump house, and listened to the music by the band Rewind, along with his wife.

“I just enjoy old cars and I enjoy showing this one,” Barlow said.

Dionne called the event a group effort. He said it was a lot of hard work and without his fellow club members, it would not have been possible.

“It’s been a long weekend for all of us,” Dionne said. “But each one of us is digging down deep and finding our third wind to keep going.”

All car owners who paid to enter their vehicle into the show were eligible to vote for some of the 24 award winners.

Some of the award winners included Best in Show: Patsy Boykin with a 1930 A Model Ford; People’s Choice: Danny Chambless with a 1937 Chevy Pickup; Vicksburg Cruisers Choice: Dave Worman with a 1966 Chevy Chevelle; Mayor’s Choice: Robert and Pam Coleman with a 1958 Chevy Impala; “Most Likely to Get a Ticket” Police Choice: Jack Curtis with a 2011 Dodge Challenger SRT; Blackburn Motors Choice: a 1968 Road Runner.

Blackburn Motors has been a dealership for 80 years, the Vicksburg Cruisers have been a club for 30 years and the car show has been held for 10 years.