With our annual Ford & Mustang show at Silver Springs State Park less than two months away (click here for details), my mind is already thinking about all the little details that can separate a good show from a great show. When you deal with a car show that numbers participants in the hundreds (and in our case, over 1,000 on several years)....

...there are a limited number of places that can accommodate the volume of vehicles. Having a show in a large park setting is not just the bigger space, but a more inviting space to coax family to attend. Maybe I didn’t notice it as much before becoming a father, but the number of parents bringing their kids at a car show can vary based on the show’s location. The last two shows I’ve attended have reminded me that getting the next generation interested in the car hobby is an important topic that everyone should take seriously.

Even if you like Chevrolet and your son like Ford, or you like American cars and your daughter is hooked on import trucks, the ideal of looking at a vehicle for more than just basic transportation is the key. While at the Ocala Pumpkin Run the weekend before Halloween, I had a group of six people approach me while I was standing by my ’70 Chevrolet Nova. The dad wanted to know about where I got it, his son liked the engine, and the mother said “they are both getting ideas for the next car to build.” That level of enthusiasm can’t help but make you smile, even if it’s not your car they are talking about. My father got me into cars and racing them over 30 years ago, and it’s a decision I’m glad he made. My 3-year old son has started showing an interest in cars, and I’m hoping that we can attend some shows and races together in 2014.

The father / son team at the core of National Parts Depot have been doing shows together for several years, and Jim and Rick Schmidt (shown below at our Ford & Mustang show) still enjoy them to this day.

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Thanks for reading!

Derek