ANDOVER — The annual New England Summer Classic Car Show is back this weekend, offering fun for car aficionados and families alike.
This Sunday, the show will return for its third year, displaying a myriad of classic cars along Main Street.
The event will run 1-5 p.m. and serve as a fundraiser for the Andover Center for History & Culture which allows free public entry but requires a $20 fee for those who wish to enter their cars.
The show originated after the Center took over the event from Andover’s 375th Anniversary Committee when plans to host a similar show fell through.
Now, three years later, ACHC continues to organize the successful event alongside car show curator Wes Pettengill.
“We just kind of took it over with Wes, and we’ve been working with Wes ever since then and it’s a great working relationship,” Martha Tubinis, programs director at the Andover Center for History & Culture.
This Sunday approximately 200 cars – dating back to 1989 or earlier – will line the street and bring an influx of visitors to Andover’s downtown area.
In 2023, the event drew more than 5,000 visitors and Tubinis said she is hopeful the turnout will be even greater this year.
“We’re hoping for more, the more people who put the word out, the more will come,” Tubinis said.
While classic cars are the focus, the show will include many other attractions such as an Oak & Iron Brewery beer garden, a photo booth, and the opportunity to “touch a truck.”
“That will be a place where people can climb up into the truck and they can take pictures up there,” Tubinis said.
However, during the show, food vendors will not be on scene in an attempt to divert business solely to local restaurants and shops.
“We’re trying to encourage people to come downtown and use downtown Andover and have people from other towns come to Andover,” Tubinis said.
Tubinis said that while car enthusiasts are more than welcome, the show is for all.
“We’re trying to make it an upbeat, fun way to spend a Sunday afternoon for a family, not just people who can tell us about the workings of an old car,” Tubinis said.