SAAC: Westbrook Labor Day Weekend Car Show
Sunday, September 6, 2009, Westbrook Elks Lodge #1784, Westbrook, CT - A Production of The Shoreline Recycled Teenage Cruisers Car Club
(this page new as of 3/13/2010; also check out the new-as-of-3/18/2010 page of Greg Mattesen photos from this event!)

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The Shoreline Recycled Teenagers Car Club's "6th Annual Labor Day Weekend Car Show" – A True Shoreline Standout Old Car Event!

There’s something special indeed about the Shoreline… Speaking as someone who grew up in a Connecticut town that is located well inland, taking a trip to “The Shore” always meant “vacation mode” or at least “enjoyment mode.” Now that I live in the Shoreline area, I have to say that it’s almost like a “vacation every single day.” Not that I wouldn’t have enjoyed growing up in this area, but somehow, having always had the vision of the Shoreline as a “special” sort of place while growing up, that feeling has stuck with me, and perhaps that’s part of the reason why I enjoy doing what I can to help highlight the old car scene in this area (combining my enthusiasm for old cars with my enthusiasm for the Shoreline).

Having lived in the Shoreline area now for, I guess, somewhere around 15+ years, and having been at least somewhat involved in the old car hobby during those years (either as a member of the old Shoreline Antique Auto Club or as an independent enthusiast), I had become aware of a very active and positive-oriented group of old car folks calling themselves The Shoreline Recycled Teenage Cruisers, and over the years it has been my pleasure to take in many of their “legendary” summertime Wednesday night cruise nights at the old Marty’s of Westbrook (which later became “Ray’s” and is now “Harbour Seal”), and also a couple of their wonderful Labor Day Weekend car shows at the wonderful seaside location of the Westbrook Elks Lodge #1784 BPOE.

There is something special indeed about the Westbrook Elks Lodge grounds where the Labor Day Weekend show is held. Besides being nice and flat and grassy, there is also an inviting older permanent structure in the middle of the grounds, which serves as a functional “main base” for the show, where registrations take place, the public address announcer/DJ is based, and lots of tasty food is cooked as the day progresses. And then from the field, you can look south toward the Elks Lodge building and see pure ocean on both sides of it—accompanied by sweet ocean breezes.

Being able to attend the 2009 version marked the second year in a row for me (having attended the ’08 version after a drought of a few years). In ’08 I drove the old ’60 Bug, and met up with some fellow VW enthusiasts at a spot on Route 1, and then drove in to the show grounds “caravan style” as part of a line of VWs. I didn’t stay for a tremendously long time at the ’08 version, but it really stayed in my mind and when I heard about the then-upcoming ’09 version (again with the VW club folks planning to meet and caravan in), I mentioned it to Diane. Happily it turned out she had a free schedule, and so we decided to travel there together this time. I also noticed in the event’s pre-publicity, that a very good cause would also benefit: “…A donation will be made to the CT Children's Medical Center Book Fund.…” – so, even more reason to make a special effort to participate!

We drove in Diane’s ’54 VW Bug, and also met up, as planned, with the other VW folks (from the Connecticut VW Association enthusiast group - http://www.ctvwa.org/) at a predetermined meeting spot just outside of the show, so that we could assemble and drive in to the show “as a group,” which was also a great thrill. One of the folks in our VW caravan group who lives locally even found a fun route into the event that took us directly along the water’s edge, as we made our way to the Elks Lodge show location—how cool is that?!

Once inside the event, I must say, the cars, the atmosphere (including kool oldies music spun by Rockin’ Richard himself), and the fellowship, were all positively first-rate! Among the other old car friends we met up with, or ended up running into at the show included: Bill Silvestri, Greg Mattesen, Didier Rocherolle, Jack & Maureen Tary, Hal Farrington, Phil Hamilton, Larry Burridge, and Dave Hackett—and many more.

The organizers had obviously worked hard to “cover all the bases” as far as smoothing the traffic flow & registration process, not to mention a well-organized show field, where folks were allowed to park more or less “as they drove in” (no “classes” per se), creating a very interesting and varied array of cars for browsing up and down each row.

I also brought my camera and took a lot of shots on that beautiful day. So as not to create too big of a documentation task for myself this time, I’ve decided to go just with mostly overall views of the car show, so I also apologize in advance for the lack of specific photo subjects identification. I do hope, however, that the images help to convey a bit of a sense for what a fantastic show it was. In our book it certainly right up there among the best reasons to love the Shoreline!

We congratulate and thank the very fine folks who made this most wonderful event happen—and not to mention, as noted previously, all their great summertime weekly Wednesday cruise nights in Westbrook at the Harbour Seal Restaurant. And for additional background, you can also go and check out the Shoreline Recycled Teenage Cruisers’ official web site: http://www.shorelinecruiserssrtc.com/. We can’t wait for the 2010 version!

On To More Scenes from The Shoreline Recycled Teenage Cruisers' 2009 Westbrook Labor Day Weekend Car Show!

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