Pontiac Firebird - 7th Annual Lawn Show

This year brought Firebirds from seemingly everywhere. Many of the long haulers rendezvoused along the way at tollbooths, convenience stores, gas stations, and hotels, so they could cruise in and arrive together in flocks-migrating to the "place of the swift water." Pontiac F-bodies came from NY, VT, NH, ME, MA, CT, RI, NJ, MD, DE, VA, PA, OH, FL, and AZ. Our neighbors to the north came from Quebec and Ontario, Canada. Forty-three Birds also took part in the structured annual All-Firebird Cruise from the Saratoga Auto Museum the Friday night before the show. Many stayed at the official show hotel where show participants were seen hanging out in the huge parking lot on Friday night detailing Birds, tailgating from support vehicles, and enjoying adult beverages after a night of cruising.

Though the weather was great Saturday morning, the sky was threatening in the afternoon. As a result, show staff went into wide-open-throttle mode and accelerated all the award ceremonies and raffles. Andrew Colling's pristine frame-off-restored '67 Firebird 400 took Best in Show, and Tom Martens from West Nyack, New York, won the 50-50 raffle. The winner's portion of the raffle was $437; the Special Olympics portion was $436. Tom graciously accepted his winnings and donated $227 from his share to Special Olympics, as show participants applauded with enthusiastic support.

Thanks to the efforts of the staff, the show was over by 3 p.m., and the new record of 157 Firebirds all came and left without a single raindrop. Aside from the record turnout and high-quality Birds, another aspect of this year's show became readily apparent-trailers were more prevalent than ever before. A show participant quipped, "If there are more trailers in 2010, the show should offer a class for 'Best Bird Hauler!'"

Now that the 7th annual event is over, we are looking toward the 2010 event. The 8th Annual All Firebird Lawn Show will be held on July 10, 2010, from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m., on the grounds of the SPA State Park, adjacent to the Saratoga Auto Museum. The rain date is Sunday, July 11, 2010. Free truck and trailer parking is available across the street from the Museum.

An all-Firebird cruise with a police escort will assemble at the Saratoga Auto Museum on Friday, July 9, 2010, at 5 p.m. The cruise destination for 2010 is a private location, which includes a paved winding road entrance, paved parking, a large covered pavilion, softball and Frisbee fields, a grill and BBQ pit, and an air-conditioned dining area. Reservations are recommended as participation is limited to the first 100 Firebirds. Arrangements for the new destination were not disclosed as of this writing.

For more information, contact Tom or Sandy Smith at (518) 587-8215, tsmith24@earthlink.net, or visit www.clubs.hemmings.com/firebirdnationofnorthamerica.