by Scott Huntington –
If it’s too early for you to begin Halloween decorations, you can pass the time this weekend at the Antique Automobile Club of America (AACA) Eastern Division National Fall Meet. 2017 marks the 63rd year of this event, which combines an antique car show, flea market and car sale in one gigantic meet.
The event started on Wednesday, October 4 but lasts until Saturday the 7th, with the big events happening on the weekend. It occupies various facilities in the Hershey Park, PA area including Pennsylvania’s Giant Center. The show is a family-friendly must-see if you’re even remotely interested in the world of vintage automobiles.
Meet the AACA
As the world’s largest and oldest antique car club, the AACA includes over 60,000 members divided into 400 regional chapters across 52 countries. The club is a non-profit organization that hosts up to 20 meets like Hershey every year, but Hershey is the biggest.
With so many members to contribute, the array of cars on display is sure to impress. Where else can you find a show with an entire division devoted to antique vehicle hauling trailers?
You could even go home with a piece of automotive history yourself. The show’s 1000 car corral is restricted to vehicles 25 years or older and includes everything from collector-quality rides to project candidates.
If you don’t find what you’re looking for at the corral, there’s an RM Sotheby’s auction that runs Oct. 5-6th. This year’s feature car is a beautiful 1971 Fiat 850 Spider that will be auctioned off to help raise funds for the AACA’s new national headquarters and Library expansion. Not into Fiats? What if we told you it was full of cash? It is, and the only way to know how much is to buy it.
Not Just about the Cars
You can still enjoy Hershey even if you don’t share in the AACA’s love for classic cars. The existing AACA library will host a yard sale. Thursday evening is movie night when AACA members get free passes to exclusive showings of old-time films at the Music Box Theatre. Visit the same venue Friday night to watch our timeless talent show.
Female guests can enjoy a Ladies Luncheon on Friday, with tickets available through the Hotel Hershey. After lunch, an open-to-all clinic will teach you the finer points of antique car judging. Maybe that way, you won’t be so sore next time your car doesn’t roll away with a blue ribbon.
Also, its Free
The AACA charges registration for show and car corral entrants, but standard admission is completely free. It takes 700 volunteers working year-round to put this even on, but the final result is over 250,000 visitors sharing in a hobby they love.
Cap off your Hershey visit with Saturday night’s award ceremony, where the concourse winner will be crowned. An awards banquet is available for those that wish to attend. The Hershey Region Education Committee and Penn College Restoration Automotive Education Seminar will even teach you how to replace a Model T head gasket and how to start and drive the car.
With so much to do, we guarantee that you won’t be bored!
Let us know what you think in the Comments.
THE AUTHOR: Scott Huntington is an automotive journalist from Harrisburg, PA. Follow him on Twitter @SMHuntington or check out his site, Off The Throttle.
So awesome, wish I could be there… one of these years…
To me, HERSHEY has always meant two things. Great chocolate bars and the best swap meet ever.
Even if you weren’t looking for something you would find it there. The car coral must be seen, always find more than you could haul home, many unusual finds at fair prices. At least in the late ’60s and into the ’70s.
A must see if one truly likes to scrounge.
P.S.; While there don’t forget the town of Hershey, gee I haven’t been there since ’52. Was a nice little town, and free Hershey bars at the plant. Still there?
As an aside, the ol’man drove my younger brother and I there in a 48-9 Kaiser Traveler, first hatchback (?).
I just returned home from todays AACA Show/Judging event. I had a wonderful time. There is always an enormous amount of Europeans there. I heard a lot of Italian, Swedish, and German. I saw my Friend/Journalist Massimo Delbo, and a few friends from The Milano area. Just a wonderful time, I showed my Fiat Bertone Berlinetta. It is always somewhat puzzling to most car show crowds as to what it is. Not today, I would say between 40 and 50 approached me and knew it was related to the Alfa Romea B.A.Ts. Quite the educated enthusiasts in Hershey. Scott is right you have to do it next year. I will!