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Funfest for Air-Cooled VW 2024 - Article and Photos by Nick Rueter

One Weekend a Year - A Lifetime of Memeories

On Saturday June 15th, 2024, Funfest for Air-Cooled VW once again delivered a memorable experience for Volkswagen enthusiasts from across the country in Effingham IL on Mid America Motorworks' corporate campus. This year's event stood out even more as it was free to attend, making it more enticing to a wider audience of VW fans, families, and car lovers alike. The festivities kicked off early with a Friday evening cruise-in to Pinky's at Lake Sara, a scenic location known for its laid-back charm as a special treat for early arrivals. VW owners were treated to more than just stunning views of the lake; they enjoyed great food, refreshing drinks, and local live music. The gathering provided the perfect opportunity to catch up with old friends and admire a beautiful lineup of classic VWs, all while soaking up the summer sun in a relaxing atmosphere.

Gates opened bright and early at 8:00 AM Saturday morning, allowing attendees to set up camp, secure prime parking spots in the show field, and explore the always-bustling swap meet. This part of the event was particularly popular, as attendees searched through a treasure trove of VW parts, memorabilia, and rare finds. The swap meet area served not only as a marketplace but also as a hub for camaraderie, where enthusiasts bonded over their shared passion for everything Volkswagen. The atmosphere was charged with anticipation as deals were struck, treasures were unearthed, and stories exchanged.

The air was filled with excitement and the delicious aroma of breakfast being prepared by Toni's Snak Shak. Early risers were treated to a hearty selection of breakfast options, perfect for fueling up before a day of Volkswagen adventure. At 9:00 AM, owner and Chief Cheerleader of Mid America Motorworks, Mike Yager, took the stage to lead the opening ceremonies. His warm welcome to the VW community set the tone for the day, with heartfelt thanks to all the VW owners and enthusiasts for their continued support and participation in the hobby. Yager's speech reflected the camaraderie that Funfest has fostered over the years.

Throughout the day, attendees had the chance to attend several expert seminars. Mike Yager, along with Dr. Darby Milnor of Midwest Autosavers, Inc., and Erik Elmauer from Herbie the Love Bug Collectibles Museum, hosted engaging talks on a variety of topics. From learning about Mid America Motorworks' 50 years of history to practical tips on VW maintenance, the seminars offered something for everyone, whether you were a seasoned VW expert or a curious newcomer. The Q&A session with Elmauer on Herbie's history was a particular highlight, as fans of the iconic movie car had the chance to dive deep into its legacy.

Family-friendly activities were scattered throughout the event, making Funfest enjoyable for all ages. The inflatable obstacle courses were a hit with kids, while t-shirt tie-dying and painting activities allowed families to take home creative, personalized souvenirs. The return of the beloved Paint Bus was a crowd favorite, with Funfest attendees eagerly taking part in decorating the iconic vehicle, contributing to its ever-evolving artwork.

As the afternoon wore on, the excitement continued to build towards the highly anticipated Awards Ceremony at 4:30 PM. Enthusiasts gathered to see which VWs would be honored in categories such as Best Campsite, Staff's Choice, Children's Pick, Chief's Choice, and Best Air-Cooled VW (ACVW). Each award celebrated the passion and creativity within the VW community, and the winners proudly displayed their unique vehicles as symbols of their dedication to the hobby and brought home a lovely trophy to forever remember this year's show.

By 5:00 PM, as the event wound down, VW enthusiasts exchanged farewells, filled with a sense of accomplishment and joy from the day's experiences. Many were already looking forward to next year's Funfest, eager to reconnect with the friends they had made and continue their shared love of classic Volkswagen cars. The camaraderie and sense of community left everyone with warm memories, solidifying Funfest for Air-Cooled VW 2024 as a truly special event in the hearts of all who attended. Hope to see you all at the 2025 Mid America Motorworks Funfest!

The 25th-Anniversary Celebration of Utah's Vintage Volkswagen show was a resounding success, drawing enthusiasts from far and wide to honor the enduring spirit of the beloved Volkswagen brand. The event, which took place on June 22nd at The Shops at Riverwoods in Provo, Utah, provided a fitting backdrop for a vibrant celebration of nostalgia, craftsmanship, and community.

The event showcased a stunning array of classic Beetles, Karmann Ghias, Buses, and other iconic models, captivating attendees with the timeless appeal of these vehicles. Against the breathtaking backdrop of the Wasatch Mountains, proud owners shared stories of restoration projects, memorable road trips, and the enduring allure of these timeless vehicles. The air was filled with excitement as enthusiasts of all ages and backgrounds came together to share their passion, forging new friendships and creating lasting memories in the process.

The 25th-anniversary celebration was more than just a car show; it was a tribute to the enduring legacy of the Volkswagen brand and a testament to the passion and dedication of the individuals who keep these classic cars on the road. As the sun set, casting a golden glow over the vintage Volkswagens, it became clear that this event was a significant milestone in Utah's automotive scene, highlighting the strong sense of community and camaraderie that defines the vintage Volkswagen community.

The success of this milestone event was made possible by the support of several sponsors, including Vintage German Motors, The Shops at Riverwoods, Bob's VW, Backyard Greens, Advanced Powder Coating, and VW Upfitters. Their contributions were instrumental in bringing the event to life, and their support is greatly appreciated by all who attended.

It is worth mentioning that Wasatch Vintage Volkswagens, Utah County's premier VW club, played a pivotal role in organizing and hosting the event. Founded in 1998 by Justin Ferguson, the club has been instrumental in providing a platform for owners of air-cooled Volkswagens to meet, associate, and share their common interests. Through monthly meetings and various Volkswagen events, the club has fostered a strong sense of community among enthusiasts in the region.

In conclusion, the 25th-anniversary celebration of Utah's vintage Volkswagen show was a testament to the enduring legacy and timeless style of the Volkswagen brand. With the support of sponsors and the dedication of enthusiasts, the event highlighted the strong sense of community and camaraderie that defines Utah's vintage Volkswagen scene. Here's to another 25 years of memories, miles, and magic on the open road!

Saturday saw the kickoff of Club Veedub Sydney's 2023 VW Nationals with a cruise, organized by Euro Cruisers, from Prospect HomeMaker Centre to Wisemans Ferry. We had great support from both air-cooled and water-cooled cars. We traveled in convoy, via a short stop at the Vineyard Hotel, enroute to the Wisemans Ferry Bowling Club for lunch. The new lower car park had more than enough space for the 40 odd cars and will be a great location for future events. Again, thank you Paul for pulling this all together!

On Saturday night it was off to Fairfield show grounds to set everything up - unpacking trailers full of gear, setting the layout, putting up signs, setting up tables and chairs, hanging banners, getting the office and shop areas organized and all the other work getting the venue ready. Thank you to all the helpers who came along. The beers and pizzas afterwards were well deserved. Early Sunday it was clear and very cold, as show cars, traders and swappers lined up well before dawn. Our volunteers were there early, some even camping there overnight, and soon suited up with fluoro vests and radios. The club shop and office were ready, the entry gates were manned and opened right on 7:30am, and it was on! The car show entry is usually the bottleneck, but this year we had plenty of volunteers to make things run smoothly.

Clipboards with entry forms and tap-n-go payment were run up the queue, so that most cars had them filled out and paid by the time they reached the entrance. They got their stickers and judging forms, their photos taken, and then directed to their parking areas by more of our volunteers. The traders and swappers were also in place early, and by 9am the show was looking great. By 10am most of the show cars were in place, and the gates were closed at 10:30. The show grounds were packed with cars, traders, swappers and spectators, what an sight!

We simplified the show categories a little this year, with some dead categories removed (race categories) and others simplified (exotics included with off-road, and SEAT/Skoda merged). The Brian Walker award was retired (it's been five years since he passed away), and the Pleydon trophy was named for both Ray and Shirley - she had passed away a few weeks earlier. We also introduced the Pam Withers Award thanks to Paul from Euro-Cruisers.Last year, as we were still recovering from the pandemic, we only had 177 cars in the show. Pre-Covid, in 2019, we had 198 cars. Our best years were 213 in 2016, and the record 231 in 2017. This year, however, we got 241 cars in the show - the most ever!!! And 84 of them were on Historic Registration, which is also the most ever. They made up 35% of the entries.

There were 159 air-cooled cars in the show, much more than the 117 last year, and just one less than the record 160 air-coolers in 2017. It's great to see people bringing their classics out again after a few years of lock downs And significantly, there were 80 water-cooled cars, by far the most ever and easily beating the 58 last year. This is the future and it's great to see our younger-generation VW Golf fans coming along and enjoying the show. By types, there were 76 Beetles across 6 categories (24 more than last year); 45 Kombis in 5 categories (7 more than last year), and 49 Golfs in 7 categories (9 more than last year). The most popular show category was Beetle 68-on Modified, with 23 entries (11 more than last year). Kombi T2 1968-79 Standard had 19 entries (5 more than last year); Beetle '58-67 Standard had 17 entries (6 more than last year); Beetle '58-67 Modified had 15 entries (1 more than last year).

For the water-coolers, Golf 7 2013-2020 had 11 entries (6 more than last year), while Golf 1 1976-83 had 10 entries (5 more than last year). VW Sports (Scirocco, Corrado, New Beetle) had 8 entries (6 more than last year!). Golf 2 1984-92 also saw a big increase, 5 this time up from just 1 last year. Almost all of the 42 categories in 2023 increased in number over last year, which was just wonderful to see, and those that didn't were usually only a few less. Classes like Pre-'57 Beetles, Karmann Ghia, Buggies and Off-roaders matched their longer-term averages. Rat Class saw 10 entries, 5 more than last year, but 10 is the long-term average.

There were just 2 Modified Type 3s, down from 4 last year and 10 in 2017, so modifying Type 3s is not the done thing any more. Standard Type 3s were up to 4 from 3 last year, but a way to go to match the 7 in 2017. We only saw 5 T3 Transporters, down from 7 last year. There were slightly fewer Polos, Golf 3, 4 and 6 than last year, but more Golf 1, 2, 5 and 7. There were 5 Audis, the most ever, and just the one Porsche (mine!). Again there were no SEATs or Skodas, the only category with no entries. However Cupra (a SEAT subsidiary) has been launched in Australia so we might see one or two next year, hopefully. If not, we’ll retire this category.

There were just two entries for the Concours d'Elegance category, the only one judged by a panel of VW industry experts, and for the first time both of them were water-cooled!All car show entrants received a judging sheet, allowing them to wander through the show and choose up to 20 different cars of their choice (air and water). Altogether some 1,685 separate votes were cast on these (164 more than last year), and posted in the blue box at the club stand before the 12:30 close-off. In addition, there were 404 People's Choice voting coupons dropped into the box by show spectators, making 2,089 votes altogether (plus the 241 entry forms) for Phil to type into his laptop computer.

This took all morning and lunchtime, but data entry was complete by around 1:45 pm. Phil's custom-designed Excel spreadsheet uses the COUNTIF function to count the number of times each particular entry number appears as a vote. Then sorting by category and vote totals gives all the results in correct order. Then it only remained to create the PowerPoint presentation by matching the car photos to the winning cars. Phil and Sam had everything worked out by 2:15. Persentation could then be started a bit earlier, and it was quite quick as we no longer do 3rd place trophies and only about ten 2nd places for the most popular categories. We were all finished by 3:30pm and most people started heading home. We still had another hour's work packing up!

I want to express my sincere gratitude to all the volunteers who helped make the 2023 VW Nationals a huge success. Your dedication and hard work did not go unnoticed, and I am deeply appreciative of your efforts. Your selflessness and commitment to this event are truly remarkable, and it is because of you that the event was able to run. This year I would like to make a special mention of David Birchall, who due to his terminal illness was not able to attend or finalize the event. This being his 35th year of single-handedly organizing this event, he still did 90% of the organizing work leading up to the event. We are grateful that he lived to hear about the biggest-ever VW Nationals before he passed away. His unwavering dedication, hard work and attention to detail have been instrumental in making the event what it is today. From coordinating volunteers and vendors to ensuring the safety and enjoyment of attendees, his contributions will never be forgotten.

We all say THANK YOU DAVE from the bottom of our hearts. You will be greatly missed. I also want to mention another longtime member and Nationals helper who passed away last month, Shirley Pleydon. She and her husband Ray joined the club in the 1990s and were familiar at many meetings and runs over the years. Both were on the committee for a long time. Shirley used to organize the trophies every year and was always generous with a cake at the Christmas meeting. Ray passed away in 2013 and the Ray Pleydon Award was set up in tribute. This year it was the Ray and Shirley Pleydon Award. Our thoughts and sympathies to Ray and Shirley's family. Mit mehr Wertschätzung, als Worte ausdrücken können (With more appreciation than words can express)