Classic Car Show Returns To Brookhaven Cherry Blossom Festival

BROOKHAVEN, GA -- From elegant roadsters reminiscent of Gatsby to midcentury chrome hot rods and today’s latest models, vintage car fans won’t be disappointed with this year’s Brookhaven Cherry Blossom Festival classic car show. The show will be held on Saturday, March 30 from 10 a.m.-4p.m. at Blackburn Park, 3493 Ashford Dunwoody Road.

Plenty of brass, white walls and recollections of a “simpler time” will be in store as vintage car club members throughout the Southeast roll into Brookhaven. This is the fourth consecutive year the show has been featured at the festival and, if remaining true to form, all tastes and interests will be treated to a visual history of the automobile spanning nearly a century, from Model A cars to the more modern exotic cars of today such as BMW and Ferrari.

Greg Barner, Bubbling Creek Company, and Faron Stephens of Steve Stephens Insurance Agency, Inc., are sponsors for the show. Barner, himself a classic car enthusiast, is president of the Early Ford V-8 Club, for those interested in restoring flat head Fords from 1932-53. He is constantly tweaking his 1938 Plymouth P6 two-door touring sedan, purchased as a pile of rust when he was 13 years old for $25 and today, with its restoration, valued at close to $14,000.

Barner and Stephens strive to bring a variety of cars models to the annual exhibition. “In some ways, car restoration is a dying hobby, especially with the pre-WWII models,” notes Barner. Today, collectors want to drive cars that are fast, more modern and air-conditioned, especially in the South. So, we take a bit more effort to bring a wide variety of cars to keep people interested. We don’t put a lot of emphasis on judging and awards, because we just want people to come and enjoy the show and let the focus be on the car owners.”

Trophies are presented at the festival for Best of Show in addition to first, second and third place, based on votes of visitors. One thing the car show organizers do that sets them apart from other shows is to take photos of every car on display and present the photo to each exhibitor as a way of saying “thank you” for bringing their car to the festival.

“Another reason we take such pride in doing this show at the Cherry Blossom Festival each year is to let youngsters know what cars used to look like many years ago,” continues Barner. “When you open the hood on older cars, there’s not a lot of plastic hiding the engine and internal parts like on cars today. Kids can actually see an engine. It gives them an idea of how cars and car design has evolved over the years, like a car culture history lesson.”

Everything You Need To Know About This Year's Festival:

• After Sour Start, Brookhaven Cherry Blossom Festival Turns Five
• Wallflowers, Smash Mouth Headline Cherry Blossom Festival
• Brookhaven Cherry Blossum Schedule, Parking Details

“The classic car show is one of my favorite activities at the Cherry Blossom Festival,” says Brookhaven Mayor John Ernst. “The cars at the show give a good cross section of models that appeal to all ages who are drawn to these connections to our past. It’s even more fun to see the reaction of today’s kids, who know nothing about ‘roll up windows’ or who can remember a time when seat belts were an option, not a requirement.”

About 60-65 cars are expected at this year’s festival, about double what’s been available at past festivals, so the show keeps growing each year.