This year’s Ponte Vedra Auto Show will celebrate several car anniversaries, welcome a new location, and, unlike last year, avoid a hurricane.
The 16th annual Ponte Vedra Auto Show, hosted by the St. Johns County Chamber of Commerce, will take place on Sunday, Sept. 9, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Spray Park event field in Nocatee.
“We’re in a new, exciting location and hopefully our permanent home for the Auto Show moving forward,” said Toni Boudreaux, director of the Chamber’s Ponte Vedra Beach Division and show official. “More space, more parking, more everything, so we’re really excited for that.”
Having the event in Nocatee is also a plus for the event’s title sponsor, Fields Auto Group.
“For us, that’s a great area,” Garry Redig, vice president of operations for Fields Auto Group, said. “We have a tremendous amount of our customers living in that area.”
The Auto Show, which is open and free to spectators, will showcase “up to 180 classic and new collectors’ cars vying for the show’s 30-plus trophies,” according to the event’s website.
There will also be four special anniversary celebrations honoring the Best in Show 70th anniversary of the Porsche 356, Best in Show 50th anniversary of the Subaru, Best in Show 40th anniversary of the Mazda RX-7 and Best in Show 60th anniversary of the Austin-Healey.
Another addition to this year’s show is the opportunity to meet a racing legend. Hurley Haywood, a popular Porsche driver who had five victories in the Rolex 24 at Daytona before retiring from racing in 2012, released his book “Hurley: From the Beginning” earlier this year and will be on hand to greet fans. (Read pages 21 and 22 for more information.)
There will also be more than 30 vendors, food trucks, a firetruck for the children and plenty of giveaways and prizes, including the chance to win a luxury car from Fields Auto Group.
Redig said the Ronald McDonald House will be selling raffle tickets to win one of five cars from Fields. The options consist of a Jaguar XE, Land Rover Discovery Sport, Cadillac ATS, Mercedes CLA or a Lexus UX. Proceeds will support the Ronald McDonald House.
“We were lucky,” Redig said about sponsoring the Auto Show. “We took over from Brumos. We thought it was a really good fit for the group.”
Fields will also be bringing back its popular Porsche test drive, which gives visitors the opportunity to get behind the wheel of one of the company’s luxury sports cars. (Read page 20 for more information.)
“We jumped right in with the Chamber and said we would continue the sponsorship,” Redig said. “This will be our third year doing it, and we couldn’t be happier. It’s been a really good program.”
Perhaps more importantly this year, the weather is expected to be pleasant. Last year’s event, originally scheduled for Sept. 10, had to be moved to Sept. 24 because of Hurricane Irma.
“It’s so nice to be able to not have to stress about a hurricane,” Boudreaux said.
And if the weather doesn’t completely cooperate, the Auto Show has that covered, too.
“Rockaway Gardens is sponsoring the hospitality tent, which will be a nice place for people to get in out of the sun and enjoy their food and just come and relax and cool off a little bit,” Boudreaux said.
Boudreaux said the Ponte Vedra Auto Show is a huge deal for both the Chamber and the area.
“The Auto Show is the (Chamber’s) largest fundraiser of the year and fifth largest auto show in the state,” Boudreaux said. “People come from South Georgia and Hilton Head and South Florida for this. It’s something that people look forward to every year. We’re excited to be able to keep this show in Ponte Vedra.”
For more information on the Auto Show, go to www.pvautoshow.com.
