Classic car show must go on

Published 9:29 am Friday, April 17, 2015

CLASSIC: Gene Shaw, of West Monroe area, an Elvis impersonator, shines his 1934 Ford three window coupe Elvis tribute car at the Vicksburg Cruisers Car Show at Blackburn Motors in 2013. About 100 cars are expected to be on display Saturday at Blackburn Motors to raise money for Haven House Family Shelter.

CLASSIC: Gene Shaw, of West Monroe area, an Elvis impersonator, shines his 1934 Ford three window coupe Elvis tribute car at the Vicksburg Cruisers Car Show at Blackburn Motors in 2013. About 100 cars are expected to be on display Saturday at Blackburn Motors to raise money for Haven House Family Shelter.

Rain or shine, the car show must go on, Vicksburg Cruisers president Billy Ray Parker said.

The annual Red Carpet Classic Auto Show will start at 8 a.m. Saturday at Blackburn Motor Company on North Frontage Road.

“Weather permitting we usually get 100 cars or more,” Parker said. “Mostly our cars come from Louisiana and Mississippi.

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The Vicksburg Cruisers have 30 members in the club and several members have more than one car, so regardless of the weather there will be some amazing cars participating Parker said.

Friday night the club will cruise over to the Outlets at Vicksburg for a pre-event get together.

“The Friday night cruise-in is just for the participants to get together and get ready for the car show the next day.”

Saturday Blackburn Motor Company will empty their front lot to clear space for the show.

“When it started a couple of cruisers approached me about having it, and it fit with our heritage,” Jeb Blackburn said. “We have been in the car business for 79 years and we have a connection with some of the cars that have been out here.

“A number of cars had been purchased from Blackburn Motors new and people found them and restored them, then had them on display out here. We definitely enjoy having them here.”

Having the show on the Frontage Road next to the interstate has been helpful in drawing visitors in to the show and giving the cruisers a home Parker said.

“If it wasn’t for Blackburn we wouldn’t have a place for the show,” Parker said. “Nobody’s been any better to us than Blackburn has.”

Participants paid a $20 pre-entry fee and will pay a $25 entry fee the day of the show.

Awards will be given for People’s Choice, Sweet 16, Promoters’ Pick, Club Pick, Overall Pick and many more. Vendors will be on hand and participants are encouraged to bring their swap meet items.

In past years the show was held in June, but organizers decided to hold it in April this year.

“We’ve had a little bit of a turnaround this year, and we’re doing our stuff early this year,” Parker said. “Hopefully, so we could go to other venues.”

Different car clubs like to participate in each other’s events and it’s all about “back-scratching” Parker said. “We go to your show and you go to ours. We have about seven different clubs participate in our show.”

Parker said the members of the club are a fun group of people to be around and explained how he got to be president. “If you want to get elected to something in our club, just don’t show up for a meeting.”

“We do a lot of things for charity, and we try to help promote the City of Vicksburg and draw people to Vicksburg, because it’s a pretty place,” Parker said.

The proceeds from the car show go to support Haven House Family Shelter.