Hosted by the Classic and Antique and Classic Car Club of Butler County, the annual parade will be July 23. The parade will kick off at the Butler County Courthouse at 10 High St. and travel from Hamilton, to Fairfield, and return to Hamilton.
It leaves Hamilton at 1 p.m. on South 2nd Street, goes to Central Avenue, Pleasant Avenue and Symmes Road. It will be at Fairfield Crossing 1:45-2:30 p.m. then returns on the same route with awards at 3:30 p.m.
“Along with the help of our club members, we work all year around getting ready for this event. It takes quite a bit of work, and with that hard work, it creates a good event,” Combs said.
The Hamilton Fairfield Antique and Classic Car Parade will begin at the Butler County Courthouse in Hamilton, travel to Fairfield Crossing, and return to the Butler County Courthouse. Showcasing nearly 300 classic and antique cars, the parade offers something for every car enthusiast.
The parade is open to all American and Foreign vehicles from 1896 to Model Year 1997. They must be in restored or original condition. No modified cars, hot rods, street rods, or any cars with after-market wheels are permitted.
“We do that because we are a historical organization, and we like to honor the designers and manufacturers of these cars the way they were meant to be seen from the factory,” Combs said.
Combs said the parade is the oldest and largest antique car parade in the United States. The first parade was held in 1954 and this will be the 68th year for the event.
“It was started in 1954 by a small group of travelers that were crossing the United States on a tour in antique vehicles, and ever since that first year, it turned into a parade in Hamilton and Fairfield,” Combs said.
“We have cars that come from all over the United States,” Combs said. “We do have quite a few people that travel for this event. Most of them are people that have done it in the past that might have lived in Hamilton or Fairfield long ago, and they remember the event from their childhood. Others hear about our event through word of mouth through the classic car community.”
This year, leading the parade is a 1923 Auburn, owned by Bob Piper, a longtime club member and Hamilton resident.
“Bob has helped our organization greatly, throughout our existence, and we just wanted to honor him this year and make him the lead vehicle,” said Combs.
Each year, the parade is led by a different classic or antique automobile. Other past lead cars have included a 1954 Packard Caribbean Convertible, a 1929 Chevrolet International Model AC and a 1934 Ford Flathead V8 Coupe. A lot of unusual and rare vehicles turnout for the event.
“I’m proud of the fact that we’ve been able to continue this tradition for 68 years. It’s an unusual thing these days for an event to be around for that long and continue,” Combs said.
He said the Butler County area, Hamilton and Fairfield, has a huge number of classic car owners and supporters.
“It’s a fun event to watch. It’s not something you see every day. We have a huge array of cars from very old antique cars that people usually don’t generally get to see running, driving and on the road, things that you only see in museums, but you’ll be able to see these vehicles in action,” Combs said.
For more information, or for a registration form, visit www.antiquecars.org. This year, there are 11 classes, and there are best of class awards as well as awards of distinction in those classes. There are also awards for “Best of Show,” pre-war and a “Best of Show,” post-war, which are the top two awards. Examples of classes include a pre-war Ford cars class and a Corvette class.
Pre-registration for a pre-war vehicle, 1942 and older, can pre-register for free before July 13. Pre-registration for post-war vehicles is $10 before July 13. Registration the day of the event is $20 for all vehicles.
The Antique and Classic Car Club of Butler County currently has about 25 active members. The club is open to new members and meetings are held the third Wednesday of every month.
SCHEDULE
Cars exhibited and judges from 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
Parade lineup is at 12:45 p.m.
Parade will begin at 1 p.m. and travel to Fairfield. There will be short stop in Fairfield from 1:45 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.
At 2:30 p.m., the cars will return to the Butler County Courthouse.
There will be an awards ceremony around 3:30 p.m.
MORE INFO
There will be a DJ playing music during the event. There will also be a handful of food vendors on-site. Spectators can also visit the downtown Hamilton shops and restaurants.
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