Two Shows in One Day

June 21, 2020 — It probably seems petty to complain about canceled car shows in this bleak season of coronovirus when many have suffered debilitating illness and families are grieving lost love ones. In New Hampshire we have been relatively untouched by the pandemic, with daily new cases mostly in the thirties, and many days go by with no deaths reported. Still, our antique car hobby takes us to other states hit harder by COVID-19 that have caused mass cancellations of shows, some as far in the future as the fall.

But small shows and cruise nights are making a comeback in New Hampshire, and on a blistering hot Sunday I actually got to see two shows in the same day. In the morning, I went to a show in Derry hosted by Southern New Hampshire Cars and Coffee. Held in a shopping center with ample parking, I'd estimate about 100 cars showed up, attracting hordes of spectators.

I came home for lunch and a break from the heat, then went to a show hosted by NH Muscle Cars at Dream Works Muscle and Classics in Manchester. I think this show had even more cars than the morning show in Derry. Besides the car show, spectators were invited inside the Dream Works shop where we could see cars in various stages of restoration. Burgers were grilled and cold soft drinks were available. The show ended with trophy presentation.

Both shows were on hot, paved parking lots with no trees, no shade, no shelter. The temperature reached 93 degrees in the afternoon, more common in July and August than June. Good social distancing was forgotten by many and a majority went unmasked, but if you're conscientious about avoiding infection, you can wear a mask, carry hand sanitizer and make your own space. It's not hard to be safe at a car show.

My photos of the Derry show, mostly new and late models, can be seen at this link:

https://www.linwoodstreet.com/carsandcoffee/

The Dream Works show, dominated by muscle cars, also mostly newer models but with a few antiques, are at this link:

https://www.linwoodstreet.com/dreamworks/