Cruisin’ On the Avenue: Scotia Father’s Day Car Show, 6/19/11

In Nippertown, life is a highway, as that’s about the only way to get to the many festivals, concerts and other events. To get where we’re going, we become players of wheeled instruments of mobility, controlling tempo, cadence and key by a foot on the “whoa, WHOA” pedal or by a twist of the wrist, as we follow the ribbons of road like a lead sheet.

On a weather-perfect Sunday, all roads led to the Village of Scotia, where prized two- and four-wheeled instruments were put on display along Mohawk Avenue by their players in a symphony of color and sound, part of the village’s 13th annual Cruisin’ On the Avenue Father’s Day Car Show.

As always, time-tested crowd favorites were present – Corvettes, Camaros, Mustangs, GTOs – along with a good mix of other American and foreign-born iron. Most were presented shiny and new – probably in better shape than when they left the factory. All the major car makes were represented by some model from their history; some car models on display were from manufacturers that are now history. Surprisingly, there were more than a handful of motorcycles on display, given the great riding weather.

Toward the end of the show, a pair of rat rods noisily took a place at the Jumpin’ Jack’s end of the avenue. To most people walking by, they were just rusty, old hulks among the candy-colored cars drawing most of the attention. Built out of junkyard and found parts and accessories, they are meant to be driven, not “shown.” It’s always fun to try and find the unique details built onto the car. As a throwback to early days of rodding, they’re considered by some as snarky antidotes to the immaculately built trailer queen rods that are just shown and never run unless conditions are just so.

Story and photographs by Andy Gregory