Doylestown At Dusk Car Show Rolls Into Town Today: Here Are The Details

DOYLESTOWN, PA — The Doylestown At Dusk Car Show rolls into town today with what organizers are calling a "spectacular showcase of automotive excellence."

The free event, scheduled from 5 to 10 p.m., promises to be bigger and better than ever, with just over 500 show cars, trucks, and motorcycles representing a century's worth of automotive history motoring into town.

"What's super exciting this year is that we are expanding the footprint of the show to include Main Street from Court Street to Oakland, and East State Street from Main to Pine," said show chairperson Rick Millham.

While the show's footprint will be expanding, the number of cars will remain capped at just over 500, said Millham.

"One of the things we noticed was that for a couple of hours during the show, it's really packed on State and Court, and it's really hard to see the cars," said Millham. "With the added streets, we'll be spreading out the cars and the crowd a little more, making for a much more enjoyable experience."

Organized by the Doylestown Rotary Club, the event draws between 20,000 and 25,000 visitors to town, making it one of the largest public events in Doylestown and in Bucks County.

"It's going to be a wonderful night in Doylestown," promises Millham. "You'll get to walk the beautiful streets of Doylestown. You'll get to see amazing cars. We're going to have great music. Plus, the proceeds from the show will be donated to local charities. It's an amazing event for Doylestown, and it's an amazing event for our residents."

(Jeff Werner/Patch)

100 Years Of Automotive Progress

"The show offers a unique opportunity to experience more than 100 years of automotive progress," said Millham. "From classic and collectible cars to exotic vehicles, there’s something for every car enthusiast."

This year's show will include everything from late-model exotic cars to American muscle cars, pristine antique automobiles, motorcycles, and trucks.

"There are no guidelines as to what can be put in the show, so we can have everything from an early Model T all the way up to a car somebody just bought last week," said Millham. "One thing I love about the show is that we always get a handful of movie-themed cars. We might be getting Kit from the Knight Rider series, and again this year, we're going to have the Ghostbusters car. We've had all kinds of different cars in the past. It's been pretty cool."

Another cool thing about the show is that the vehicles are not grouped by makes, models, or years. They are parked in the street in the order they arrive at the show.

"You never know what you're going to see as you're walking down the street. You might have an antique Cadillac next to an authentic Mini from England," said Millham. "You have to cover every square inch because you don't want to miss something," he said. "That's what makes this a really cool show. You just don't know what you're going to see around the next corner."

(Jeff Werner/Patch)

(Jeff Werner/Patch)

Millham said another thing he likes about the show is that it lends itself to the sharing of stories and information.

"For me, if I see a Firebird, I want to talk with that owner," he said. "I want to know all there is to know about that car. And then I'm going to share my story about when I was a kid, how I loved that car. That's the experience we want to share with this show - connecting people, sharing stories about the cars."

In addition to the vehicles, Millham said visitors will enjoy a family atmosphere with live entertainment, delicious food from local restaurants, activities for the kids, and a variety of vendors. Bands and entertainers will be performing throughout the downtown area.

The show will open at the main stage located in the Clinton Street parking lot at 4:45 p.m. with the presentation of the colors by a local color guard and the singing of the National Anthem.

Live Entertainment

Free entertainment will continue throughout the evening with six different musical acts, including Springbrooke and Wineskin performing on the main stage, and Uncle Bob's Band at the Hamilton lot.

Other performers entertaining at the show include Doylestown's School of Rock at the top of Court and Main.

New additions this year include Procedural Safeguards, a party band from the Intermediate Unit that will be performing in front of Siren Records, and Tiny Couch Doylestown, featuring Forester Gray and Alright Junior at Starbucks.

Billboard Trucks

A new addition to the show grounds this year will be two billboard trucks, which will be advertising the event's major sponsors and the evening's schedule of entertainment.

Proceeds Support Community Charities

At 6:30 p.m. on the main stage, the Rotarians will be giving away $45,000 raised during last year's show to nine charities. Grant recipients include A Woman's Place, Bucks County Opportunity Council, Hands Holding Hearts, Helping Family Farm, Beds for Kids, Pearl S. Buck Foundation, the River Crossing YMCA, VITA Educational Services, and TLC Child Care.

In addition, the Rotarians donate annually to the Doylestown Fire Company No. 1, the Doylestown Borough Dam Project in support of its fishing derbies, Shelter Box USA, and Rotary International's Polio Plus campaign to eradicate polio around the world, along with three college and trade school scholarships.

Road Closures (Starting at noon on Sunday)

• State Street (from Pine to West Street)
• Main Street (from Court to Oakland)
• West Court Street (from Main to Franklin Street)
• Clinton Street (from Wood to Mary St)
• Logan Street (from West to Lafayette St)
• Hamilton Street (from Union to Oakland Ave)
• Harvey Avenue (from Court to Union)

All side streets intersecting with State and West Court will be barricaded to prevent access.

Parking Lot Closures

• Clinton Street Lot: closed starting at 2 a.m. on Sunday.
• Dommel Way, Wells Fargo, and Plaza West Lots: closed starting at 12 p.m. on Sunday.

Parking Options

• The Bucks County Parking Garage on Court Street
• The Bucks County Justice Center Parking Garage on Broad.
• Doylestown DART will be providing transportation from the parking garages.
• Central Bucks West Student Parking