By Stephanie Irvine
Though construction for Peotone’s downtown streetscape is ongoing, it didn’t stop the local non-profit organization the Peotone Car Club from holding its 37th annual car show downtown, just a block away from where it previously has hosted the event. The club, led by President Todd Sandberg, is fairly small but always gets by with a handful of volunteers.
The club began hosting the car show in Peotone in 1987, but the car show brings more than just cars to downtown Peotone each year. The event has a pizza-eating contest for kids ages 16 and under sponsored by Tony’s Pizza and a pin-up contest that ended with Coco Colada being crowned Ms. Peotone Peach 2024.
The car club’s DJ, “DJ Joe,” played family-friendly party music during the show, including old-school jams, rock, and country. A pin-striper, Allen Yuhasz, was present, providing lettering and striping on site. He also did the lettering on the show’s plaque awards. Local restaurants had food and drinks for sale to quench people’s hunger and thirst.
The event drew spectators from Peotone and neighboring communities and states. Hundreds of people walked the show to check out the array of vehicles. From shined chrome bumpers and polished paint, the show cars were clean and ready to be seen.
“The intention was to have an event that supports local businesses. No outside vendors or food trucks — it’s for people to come into town for the show and spend money at the local businesses,” explained Peotone Car Club Secretary Andrea Arens.
Unlike more casual, free cruise nights, the car show is organized with awards and requires a $20 entry fee. The club advertises its events, including the annual show, with flyers at cruise nights and other car shows. The group also advertises online through social media.
The format for the 2024 car show was a Top 30, where – in addition to the best-in-show trophies – the Car Club awarded 30 individual classes, determined by Car Club members. Thirty handmade wooden plaques were welded with a spark plug race car and lettered with various bragging rights, from “dialed in” to “fuel hog” and more.
Entrants in the show received a t-shirt, goody bag, and door prize ticket, plus the chance to win the class awards. The club also awards two best-in-show trophies, one trophy from the club and another homemade trophy from Greasy Cheek, a previously owned auto shop in Peotone, but still attends the annual show and presents his award.
This year’s show included 186 entries, with vehicles lining Railroad Street, crossing Crawford Street, and taking over the old Bennett lot. The weather, though hot, was perfect for a car show – sunny and dry.
Previous years drew 300 or more cars, but uncertainty with construction likely put a damper on the number of participants. The binder on the pavement had not been laid until the Thursday prior to the Saturday show, keeping show organizers on their toes with where and how tents and registration would be laid out.
The show’s various entries made it an exciting event for the community, with newer makes and models alongside antique rides, from Corvettes and station wagons to pickup trucks and Volkswagen buses. Previous years capped the model year at 2005, but this year’s format opened it up to all classes.
The car show was not limited to locals, while members of the Peotone Car Club were prohibited from participating in the show as the club determined the awards.
People from all over entered their vehicles into the show, including Ken and Jennifer Davidson of Hoyt, Kansas. The Davidsons received “The Gambler” award for driving their 1972 Ford pickup truck more than 500 miles to participate in the show. Davidson grew up in Peotone and was excited to return to the area and go to the show with her grandfather’s truck.
All the profits from the car show go to local charities, plus the club gives away two $500 scholarships for community college, automotive, or the trades each May.
This past May, the club awarded scholarships to Colin Hetfleisch and Isaac Ramirez, both of Peotone. If a winner is going into the trades and does not have tuition, they can bring receipts for their tools and have them reimbursed up to the $500 scholarship amount.
After the car show, the party didn’t stop, as the band RESET, a Southland’s Best nominee, played live family-friendly music for a street dance until 10:30 p.m.
The club hopes streetscape construction will be complete for the 38th annual show so they can bring the show back to its original location downtown.
Stephanie Irvine is a freelance reporter.