Nifty Fifty Wheels
I love 50s hot rods. A friend of mine owns a 50’s
drive in – not the movie kind, the drive up and order and have your food
delivered to your car kind. She is in the midst of fixing it all up, but in the
meantime there’s a classic car club in town whose owners have all sorts of 50’s
hot rods of every make and model.
The first Saturday of every month is 50s hot rod night at the Sno-Cap Drive In
and all the teens, and older but memory-laden locals head to the diner to see
the 50s hot rods roll in. Then they all sit around at the outdoor tables
listening to music of the fifties and sixties, laughing and dancing, admiring
the 50s hot rods, eating hamburgers and fries and drinking milk shakes and root
beer floats. It is great fun.
So many people love 50s hot rods. Many organizations have grown up around them.
In Minnesota, for instance, there is a street rod association, an organization
built around 50s and 60s hot rods and classic cars. Some of these are
brilliantly tricked out with paint and trim and other tips of decorations.
Back to the Fifties is an annual event of the Minnesota Street Rod Association.
The competition is fierce, and the event starts with curbside rodding, followed
by a ladies showcase. Winners are announced Friday night, the second day of this
four day extravaganza. Other events are arts and crafts sales, vendor displays
and booths by those who offer parts and services for the 50s hot rods. Then
there is a safety show as well as a repair shop on the premises. You can even buy
shirts, novelties and jackets that sport your favorite of the 50’s hot rods.
Not all the 50s hot rods in the show are made to ride size, however. Miniature
cars have they day of fame as well. At then end of a day of kids games, adult
50s hot rods viewings and shopping, and plenty of tasty eats, there is
entertainment. Folks like Roy Orbison, Shi Boom, the Platters, and Bob and his
Beachcombers provided foot stomping sing along music and entertainment for the
whole family.
