Memorial Day Car Show Offers Look to the Past

You didn’t have to be a car nut to appreciate the vintage autos on display at the Pennsylvania Military Museum Sunday.

An impressive slice of automotive history had something for everybody, from muscle cars to Model A’s. It was all part of the 2013 Allegheny Region Antique Automobile Club of America car show.

Nearly 200 cars, some dating back to the 1930’s and beyound, were on display as part of the 149th Boalsburg Memorial Day celebration.

Patrick Boab, of State College, was showing off his 1940 Packard Model 110 at the event. Boab said he always liked Packard cars when he was growing up because they were one of the luxury cars of the time.

“Packard and Cadillac ran neck and neck with each other back then,” Boab said. He has been a member of the AACA for about 30 years and is a car enthusiast mainly because he and his father, Ray, used to work on them when he was younger.

Others brought some extra entertainment with their automobiles.

“I like unique things,” Ed Friedman, of Boalsburg, said about his 1929 Ford Good Humor Ice Cream truck. “People like it because it’s different.”

Friedman, along with his wife, Charlene, were dressed in ice cream server outfits and handing out free Good Humor bars to anyone taking a look at their truck.

“There’s this big sense of nostalgia,” Charlene said about the car show. “It’s about the opportunity to educate younger people about a time they didn’t experience.”

Many of the older coupes and convertibles attracted younger, more curious event-goers throughout the day.

A 1955 hot pink Ford Crown Victoria caught the eye of David Frazier’s son, Christian, as they were walking through the event.

The father and son from Wayne, Pa., were visiting relatives for the holiday weekend. David, who has been coming to Boalsburg for Memorial Day for 10 years, said he and his son were taking advantage of all of the day’s events.

“It’s beautiful out, and it’s a beautiful time of year,” he said. “The car show is relatively new, but it’s been a great addition.”

As the day continued, more people made their way to the car show, which was just one part of the huge celebration.

“Obviously, the reason and the purpose is to honor our veterans,” Ed Friedman said about the festivities. “The idea to have a car show is to get people out and have a good time while enjoying the day.”

memorialday2013