Residents@JV

Hadi Shriner's Fest - Car & Bike Show

Saturday afternoon, May 19, 2007, Wanda, Michael, Scott, and Home Coordinator Joe left Jacob’s Village at 1:30pm to pick Mike up from work at 2:00pm. They had planned to attend the fourth annual Hadi ShrinersFest that was being held in downtown Evansville on Riverside Drive overlooking the Ohio River-Front. The Hadi Shrine Club and Restaurant is located on Walnut Street right across from the riverfront and members of the Shrine Club were manning a couple information booth tables handing out literature, brochures, selling t-shirts, 10lb bags of Vidalia Onions, and having many contests where winners were rewarded door prizes. There were many stands selling car paraphernalia such as models, matchbox cars and motorcycle accessories along with food and drink booths. On display at this year’s ShrinersFest were 256 specialty cars and trucks, 152 motorcycles, auto venders and assorted entertainment venues. The entertainers included Blue-Grass and Folk Music Bands across from the front of the museum on the East end of the drive, clowns mingling in with the crowd up and down the strip, small twin-engine Cessna airplane gliders flying overhead with advertising banners behind them. A couple planes were producing a smoke and fog and sky writing names. Added attractions for the fest this year were tours of CJ’s Bus and ‘Hadi Hopping’, a car bouncing contest. CJ’s Bus is a modified school bus with a children’s activity center inside. CJ was a little boy that was killed in the Nov. 06 Newburgh tornado. In his memory, the bus will be available for tornado ravaged areas to provide a safe place for children to occupy their time while adults help with clean-up of the tornado damage. The ‘Hadi Hopping’ event is where a car’s suspension is manipulated, adjusted and hydraulically enhanced causing the car to jump-up off the ground. Although this kind of modification is legal, adjusting the suspension while the car is moving is not; therefore, participants were not allowed in the car while it was bouncing. It looks a little odd…and doesn’t look normal; acting as if the car is a robot. A Cadillac won this event by out jumping a half-a-dozen other cars by getting its wheels 33 inches off the ground for the winning height. Michael and Scott really enjoy every kind of car show, but 60’s & 70’s Muscle Cars are a favorite, and usually, The ACE of Clubs, Area Chrysler Enthusiasts have some representatives at most of the tri-state car shows. This day was no different; the good looking paint jobs on the themed nicknamed Chrysler, Plymouth, and Dodge cars were all there. Although, every car make, model, and year are all well taken in. The Jacob’s Village bunch was also there with over 7,000 others that were in attendance throughout the day, a good time was had by all on the Ohio River front.

posted by J V Resident Blog @ 10:58 AM