By Christopher Johnson
Rapidly approaching is the return of one of the area’s most popular car shows. On August 20th, the much-awaited Old 27 Car Show will be rolling into Clare for another annual exhibition throughout the downtown area.
The show will run from 5 PM to 9 PM and will feature live music by Night Shift.
When it arrives in Clare, participants can register at the Doherty Hotel. Further entertainment will be provided by Kevin Chamberlain in the Doherty Hotel parking lot near the patio.
Public restrooms will be available at the Doherty Hotel and Four-Leaf Brewing.
Tour participants can also have their passports stamped at Clare Hardware Store and Stitches for Britches, both located nearby.
Registration for the Old U.S. 27 Motor Tour is $20 per vehicle and can be completed in each city where participants join the tour. Registration is open during the first hour in each community. Participants who register will receive an event lanyard and gift.
Tour organizers are reminding drivers to keep their headlights on while traveling with the group and to stay close behind the vehicle in front of them. The goal is to keep the cars together as one continuous parade. Organizers warn that large gaps between vehicles could lead police escorts to believe the parade has ended and leave cars behind.
Participants are also asked to be courteous to other drivers and volunteers assisting with parking. Grandstanding is not permitted, and organizers say anyone who does not follow the rules may be asked to leave the tour.
The show owes its existence to Craig Parrish. Born and raised around automobiles, it was his idea to spearhead the Old 27 roadway and transform its mileage into a historic attraction for motorists and communities along the route.
In the early 2000s, Parrish began working to have Old U.S. 27 in Michigan designated as a historic highway. His efforts eventually paid off in 2010, when the Michigan House of Representatives passed a resolution. Henceforth, the route was designated as a historic highway.
