The Cars and Guitars committee is revving up for the event’s return in 2021.
After the COVID-19 pandemic forced the cancellation of the car show and concert in 2020, the committee was given the green light this year.
Gary Colglazier, president of Cars and Guitars Inc., said pandemic restrictions loosening up and receiving approval from the Jackson County Health Department resulted in the 16th annual show being set for June 26 in the streets of downtown Seymour.
Preregistered parking starts at 2 p.m., and a concert by local group Sounds of Summer: A Beach Boys Tribute will be from 7 to 9 p.m.
The event will be conducted in memory of Gary’s father, Dan Colglazier, who founded it and also was a longtime owner of Dan’s Cycle Sales in Seymour. He died Feb. 22, 2020.
“Last year was going to be a memorial for my dad because he was one of the co-founders of the thing. John Burkhart was involved with it, too, at the beginning,” Gary said. “It was kind of sad that we couldn’t do it just to recognize them.”
This year, Colglazier and the rest of the committee expect a good show and a big turnout.
“People, I think, are tired of sitting at home. They want to get out,” he said. “We’ve had anywhere from 250 to a little over 300 cars at the shows, and who knows what we have this year? I expect to have that. We could have more. I don’t know. It will be interesting.”
All makes and models are welcome for the car show. There is no event admission charge, but the cost to enter a vehicle is $20, and those who preregister by June 15 will receive an event T-shirt. Registration forms are available at several local businesses.
All proceeds will benefit the ongoing efforts to add physically challenged playground equipment at Seymour parks. Over the years, Cars and Guitars has donated more than $100,000 toward that effort.
“It has just been a good fundraiser for the parks department what we’ve been doing,” Colglazier said. “It’s just good that we’re able to give the money to the parks to help with the physically challenged playground equipment.”
Registration will start at noon in front of the Jackson County Public Library on West Second Street. Dash plaques will be given to the first 250 registrants.
No awards are given; however, door prizes valued at more than $100 each will be up for grabs. That includes a set of tires from Seymour Tire and Service valued at $400 and the grand prize from A Touch of Class Auto Detailing valued at more than $1,000.
There also will be a 50/50 drawing and a silent auction, and those who preregister will be entered to win a John Mellencamp autographed guitar.
The band is sponsored by Bob Poynter Family of Dealerships and King’s Trucking and Excavation.
The Beach Boys tribute show includes more than 30 familiar hits and tells the story of the group known as America’s band. Members David Ertel, Connor Ertel, Eric Wernke and Matt Hurley have known each other since grade school and shared a love of 1960s music and Beach Boys harmonies.
They have been playing across the nation since 2015. They performed at Cars and Guitars in 2016.
“We like their music, and they just put on a good show,” Colglazier said. “It’s a lot of car show music. That’s what everybody grew up with in my day. They draw a pretty good crowd, too, so that will help.”
Colglazier said he’s happy to be a part of the committee to keep Cars and Guitars going, especially since his dad helped start the show.
“Oh yeah, he wanted us to keep it going,” he said. “I hope that we can keep it going. We’ve got some younger adults on our committee now, so hopefully, they can kind of take over and keep the show going.”