Sat 8/15 @ 10AM-6PM
They just don’t make’em like they used to. No matter what year the calendar reads, this tired trope pretty much applies to everything – music, movies, pizza, etc.
However, the one area where such a statement carries weight has to do with cars (and maybe pizza, but that’s a different article). Today’s high-tech, environmentally friendly vehicles are nice, but compared to the classics they don’t even deserve to be called cars.
Sure, these modern four-wheeled vehicles get us where we’re going and won’t kill us as fast as their older, bigger and exhaust-friendly brethren, but they’re nothing more than a mode of transportation.
Back in the day (when Nixon was in office and the James Gang still closed Kent bars), you drove your car with pride as if you were always in a parade with a beauty queen sitting in the back seat. Granted, some of us were in diapers at that time but we can dream.
And once a year that dream becomes a reality: August in Lakewood means it’s time for Northeast Ohio gearheads to unite for the 13th annual Car Kulture event taking place Sat 8/15 on Madison Avenue between Hilliard and Warren.
Cool Cleveland talked to Car Kulture co-founder Jerry Koenigsmark about this “Get your motor running” affair.
How did Car Kulture start?
Chris Andrews owned a bunch of businesses on the eastern end of Madison. He always wanted to do some car-related events so he came to me and asked me if I was interested in helping him to set up a car show that we could have right on Madison. The first year we had 50 cars and we did it rogue-like. We didn’t tell the city about it. From there, it kind of grew. We notified the city years after. They told us they’d like to know about these types of events and it kind of just grew from there.
Car Kulture is huge now. How has it evolved over the years?
We went from 50 cars the first year to we have anywhere between 400 to 500 cars now. About six years ago, we moved from the east end of Madison to the west end between Warren and Hilliard. The city has been very cooperative. One of the big things we try to do is we bring in live music. We really stick to a certain genre of music, which is rockabilly. We have a DJ now that plays in between the sets. We only allow certain vendors in but they have to be related to the car culture type of scene. Also, we give out five awards. We do all custom-made trophies so they’re all one-of-a-kind. Overall, I’m going to guess probably now attendance is in the 4,000 to 5,000-person range but it varies from year to year. It’s turned out to be the second largest event in Lakewood behind the Art Fest.
What is it about Car Kulture that attracts so many people?
It’s kind of the whole vibe because there are a lot of really eclectic shops and all the bars and restaurants along Madison. The area seems to be really growing now. I think it’s just a really different type of vibe than you’ll find at most car shows, which are normally in a parking lot or a park setting. Our show is not just for men. It attracts a lot of different people. You can bring your wife to this car show, and if she’s not into cars, there are plenty of shops she can go in and check out.
Why is 1972 the cutoff Car Kulture date for what is considered a classic car?
That was my decision. I felt that everything that was after 1972 really wasn’t in my mind a legitimate hot rod or classic car. Actually, if it was up to me, I’d probably go even older, because I’m actually more into the early, early stuff. I have to make a cutoff somewhere because we’re really limited to the amount of space.
You just know there’s some dude with a mustache and 1977 Trans Am shaking his head while reading this.
That’s true.
Finally, is it possible for Car Kulture to grow even bigger in the future?
I would like to see it expand. That’s a fight I have with the city. Because of the location we’re at now, I’d have to cross a major intersection, either Warren or Hilliard. I’m getting pushback from the city because of that. I know some of the businesses on the other side of those borders would like to get it past the intersection for future years. I do think expanding it would be something I could see happening in the future.
[Written by John Benson]