Rotary Car Show goes online, hopes to draw wide audience

LACONIA — The Lakes Region Rotary Car Show has grown into a huge event, and last year drew about 1,000 spectators who came to view more than 100 cars, each one more remarkable than the next. The show serves as a fundraiser for the Rotary Club, and last year it generated $11,000, which was given to charities.

The eighth annual show will be held at the end of this month. It won’t look like previous shows, though, due to the coronavirus pandemic. So, instead of inviting people to stroll past the entries, viewers will instead scroll through images in a virtual version of the show.

Viewing a lovingly cared for car through a screen isn’t the same as seeing it in steel and chrome, but, said Larry Greeley of Lakes Region Rotary, holding the event online offers some advantages that weren’t present in the previous seven years.

“Without having a physical location, geography doesn’t matter,” Greeley said, adding that the club has reached out to car clubs near and far and has advertised its event in Rotary publications across the country.

“I’m assuming these car people don’t get to go to real car shows this year,” Greeley said. It could be possible that the virtual show attracts an international element. “You never know, you just don’t know. It’s a whole new adventure for us.”

Greeley doesn’t know who will participate in the event, nor does he have a projection about whether the Rotary Club will be able to raise as much money as it did last year.

In the 7th Annual Car Show, the Rotary Club charged $15 for people who wanted to show their vehicle, and $5 per spectator. This year, they are charging $10 to show a car, and there’s no fee to view them. However, it will cost money to vote for favorites in the various categories. Each vote will cost $1, and there’s a minimum purchase of five votes.

Even if revenue from participation is down, the Rotary Club could still come away with a considerable amount to give to charitable causes, thanks to the support from local sponsoring businesses combined with another attribute of a virtual event.

“Our expenses have been reduced significantly,” Greeley said.

The car show starts with limited entries showing as early as July 11, when sponsors will be able to list their vehicles. The virtual show will open to the general public on July 25, at which point anyone around the world will be able to “show” their car, as well as to vote on their favorites. On Aug. 1, the winners of the “Viewer’s Choice” will be announced, as will the judges’ picks for the following categories: Pre-WWII, Post-WWII, Mustang, Corvette, Muscle Car, Truck, Street Rod, Specialty, Original, Sports Car, and Best In Show.

Proceeds from the show will benefit the Santa Fund of the Greater Lakes Region and the NH Food Bank.

For further information, visit lakesregionrotary.org/carshow.