116 3rd St SE
Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52401
Car buffs show off their rides at Cedar Rapids car show
Event at Noelridge Christian Church part of Freedom Festival activities
CEDAR RAPIDS — Vintage cars in shades of red, white, blue and beyond filled the Noelridge Christian Church parking lot on a hot and sunny morning as part of Saturday’s Freedom Festival festivities.
An Eastern Iowa car club, the Classy Chassy Cruisers, hosted the Show N Shine Car Show outside the church. Vintage car owners could register for just $1 and show off their hot rod to spectators.
Saturday’s car show also featured food trucks, live music and a donation collection for Iowa City Hospice. It is one of many events affiliated with the Cedar Rapids Freedom Festival, which will culminate Monday with the largest fireworks show in Iowa.
Freedom Festival Fourth of July events
Pancake Breakfast: 8 a.m.-noon, ImOn Ice Arena, 1100 Rockford Rd. SW, Cedar Rapids
Car Show: 8 a.m.-noon, Kernels Stadium lower parking lot, 950 Rockford Rd. SW, Cedar Rapids; car show registration ends at 9 a.m.
Things That Go Boom!: 5-10 p.m., Cedar River Landing, 301 F Ave. NW, Cedar Rapids
Celebration of Freedom Fireworks: 6 to 10 p.m., downtown Cedar Rapids; fireworks start at approximately 9:45 p.m.
Freedom Festival concert: 7 p.m., McGrath Amphitheatre, 475 First St. SW, Cedar Rapids; featuring Johnny Holm Band
Cedar Rapids Municipal Band concert: 7:30-8:30 p.m., Guthridge Park, 704 Emmons St., Hiawatha
Keith Vanous, of Robins, brought his purple 1931 Ford Model A to show off at the event. Although he said he isn’t a huge fan of participating in car shows, he saw an advertisement for the event and decided to give it a try.
Vanous said he bought the car off a Facebook post about four years ago.
“I was just looking for a hot rod,“ he said. ”This one just happened to pop up on Facebook one day, and the price is right.“
He said he drives the car on a daily basis and loves to receive compliments and questions about the vehicle — a perfect fit for a car show.
“I bought (the car) to drive it, and I just really enjoyed driving it and getting the thumbs-up from people,” he said.
Jeff Fossum, of Cedar Rapids, said he loves to participate in car shows and talk to people about his 1924 Model T.
“I like it when I get a chance to explain (that) this is so different from a normal car,” he said. “I get a chance to explain what all the differences are and how it works.”
Fossum said his black Model T is one of 15 million cars built from 1908 to 1927. He got the car from his uncle after he died, and he has continued his uncle’s work on the Model T for five years.
“He literally took parts laying in the grass that were all covered in rust, put the whole thing back together and it was running down the road,” Fossum said. “I took and redid the entire body.”
The Model T can go up to 35 mph, Fossum said, and he loves to pick up his grandson and drive around Cedar Rapids in the car.
Fossum said he’s been working on cars for over 40 years, ever since he wanted to buy one as a teenager but couldn’t afford it.
“I started learning all that stuff, and I just never stopped,” he said.
Attendees look at the vintage cars Saturday during the Show N Shine Car Show at Noelridge Christian Church, 7111 C Ave. NE in Cedar Rapids. The event was part of Cedar Rapids Freedom Festival activities. (Hannah Pinski/The Gazette)
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