Best turnout in years for 20th annual car show

Oct. 17—HENDERSON — A couple of hours into the car show Saturday morning, Ken Stegall of the Corbitt Preservation Association said of the sunny, 70-degree weather, "If it don't happen today, it ain't gonna happen."

"This is all driven by the weather," Stegall's Corbitt comrade Tom Burleson chimed in, "and this is going to be a spectacular day."

The Corbitt guys were right. By late morning, Garnett Street was packed sidewalk to sidewalk for the 20th annual Show, Shine, Shag and Dine Car Show, which kicked off on Friday before concluding the following day.

Vance County Tourism Development Authority Director Pam Hester estimated a showing of between 25,000 and 30,000 visitors, with heavier foot traffic than the show has experienced in a number of years.

"Everyone was extremely complimentary," Hester said. "Many stating it was the best show yet."

Corbitts, antiques, vintage muscle cars, hot rods and a host of other classic cars and trucks spanned downtown Henderson's main drag from First United Methodist Church all the way south past the American Legion building to Burwell Avenue. In total, there were about 400 vehicles with more than 200 of those judged. Results are expected to be finalized later this week.

Food trucks and vendors also dotted the streets, including James Williams and Bo Parrish, who both served up hot dogs and chicken plates in front of Muffler Express at the corner of South Garnett and Horner.

One tractor seemed to be in sight: a green, gas-powered 1950 Corbitt G-50 owned by 78-year-old John Jenkins of Westmoreland County, which is located in the Northern Neck region of Virginia.

Jenkins bought it in 1983 and restored it only four years ago. It's thought to be one of only 10 like it in the U.S., at least in one piece.

"My father collected antique tractors," Jenkins said. "Someone would say, 'I have a tractor in my yard and want to get rid of it,' and he would go pick it up."

The car show doubles each year as the Corbitt Truck Show and Reunion. The Corbitt connoisseurs set up shop Saturday on the north end of the street, across from George's on the site where Corbitt made its name producing buggies around the turn of the 20th century. Paying homage to the company's 50-plus years of manufacturing in Henderson, the Corbitt Preservation Museum at 180 Court St. is just a short walk away from here.

An original founder of the Henderson-based Corbitt Club, Bruce Essick brought his 1950 maroon D-808 Corbitt truck from High Point.

Essick bought the D-808 about 20 years ago. He's an avid collector of antique trucks and has been attending the reunion since it began. His first antique purchase was a 1947 Corbitt and as a non-local, Essick noted that for him, Corbitts are a source of state pride.

"Seeing the guys here in the club that I don't see real often for one thing," Essick said of what he enjoys about the reunion. "And then sharing your trucks with a lot of people that have never seen them. It's just good, clean fun."

The uncomplicated nature of the car show overall might be one of its finest appeals to attendees.

Some cars have fascinating backstories. David Durham's "intense blue" 1972 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme — not so much.

"I seen it and I liked it and I bought it," said Durham, a 66-year-old Warrenton resident.

No grandstanding for Durham, who bought the Cutlass about 15 years ago and had been to Henderson's car show several times before.

"I love it," Durham said. "We don't have much in our towns like this but when it comes, I try to enter it. There's a lot of cars and nice stuff to look at. I like mine and I like other folks' too. I like to look at other peoples' cars."

For those in the market for an antique or classic, car shows like this one can also be a great place to shop, or the other way around.

But mostly the Show, Shine, Shag and Dine Car Show signifies a shared love for antique and classic automobiles — with the odd tractor mixed in, of course.

A Tampa, Florida, native and Franklinton resident, Kevin Jackson had visited Henderson for the car show as an enthusiast several times before bringing his own entry. Two years ago, he bought a 1971 Chevy Nova, which was painted in Laguna blue Saturday and parked near The Dispatch office at 420 S. Garnett St.

Jackson, 59, had dreamed of owning a muscle car in his younger years and had been searching for a 1969 Mustang when he stumbled across the Nova.

Jackson sat peacefully Saturday in a folding chair behind the Nova, regularly fielding questions about it from passersby. "What color is it? And how's the suspension set up?" they'd ask.

A sea of traffic spilled onto Garnett Street Saturday for the show. But no one was in a rush.

"It's one of the biggest, nicest shows around really," Jackson said, "especially if the weather is like this. It's downtown. It's a straight line. There seems to be plenty of room. There's plenty of vendors. People are nice. And there's lots of nice cars."

Show, Shine, Shag and Dine Car Show Notes: The event started with a Cruise-In at the Lake on Friday at Satterwhite Point with between 175 and 200 cars driving through for lunch by Nobles BBQ and Catering. On Friday night, the Southern Classic Car Museum had a successful Cruise-In of its own.

Fifteen Jeeps turned out for the inaugural Jeep Jam and 16 race cars clocked in at the Garnett Street Depot Station as part of the East Coast Drag Times Hall of Fame.