Vintage vehicles and those who have come to see them line Glaydas Street in downtown Hooker for the community’s annual car show in 2013. This year’s Hooker Car Show kicks off Saturday morning with the Philanthropic Education Organization’s Hooker Streetwalker 5K run/walk and wraps up that evening with a live concert by the RBC Band. L&T file photos/Robert Pierce
Hooker Car Show offer numerous activities for day of family fun
By ROBERT PIERCE
• Leader & Times
Monday marks the beginning of September and Labor Day, and that means there is less than a week before streets in a small town in Texas County, Okla., will be filled with vehicles.
For the eighth year in a row, Hooker will host its annual car show on the first Saturday after Labor Day, Sept. 6, and the fun starts right off the bat at 7:30 a.m. with the Hooker Streetwalker 5K beginning at the Hooker Fire Station at 112 S. Broadway.
Coordinator Linda Martin said this year marks the third year the Philanthropic Education Organization has used that activity to raise money for its scholarship for Hooker graduates.
“It’s their main fundraiser for that year,” she said.
The car show will also feature a swap meet, which Martin said has tried to do every year.
“We did a fairly successful one last year,” she said. “We just have a lot at the end of Glaydas at Ireland. There’s an empty lot there. They can set up things – automotive related items to sale.”
When people get hungry at Hooker’s car show, there is a food court, where Martin said a few new things can be found this year.
“We have Pop’s Kettle Corn, and we have a big trailer of snow cones. I think it’s Snow Fanatics,” she said. “We’ve a hot dog guy that’s coming.”
Martin added several youth groups will be doing fundraisers.
“They’re going to be selling different items from clothing, T-shirts to baked goods,” she said. “FFA alumni will be raising money. The Hooker Boy Scouts will be maintaining little pedal cars from the ’50s that’s a ride for children. We’ve had that the last six or seven years. They’re going to be doing that this year for their fundraising. They’ll be taking any money they receive off of that. A Tyrone youth group is bringing a bouncy house to raise money, and the Hooker cheerleaders will be doing a dunking booth.”
Martin said the group putting on the Hooker Car Show is hoping for more than 250 classic automobiles for this year’s event, and the show nearly reached that number last year. She described one of the vehicles that will be on display on Glaydas Street.
“We do have a vintage camping trailer,” she said. “I think it’s from ’56. It’s original just out of the barn in pristine condition. It’s going to be here, and it is for sale. It’s going to be part of the car show. It’s a Hooker lady that restores old campers and old trailers.”
This year’s car show will likewise feature two raffles for people to participate in, according to Martin.
“We have a handmade Hooker Car Show quilt,” she said. “We’re selling for $1 each, or they get 11 tickets for $10. The drawing will be the day of the show. They do not have to be present to win for that drawing.”
The other raffle helps raise money for a scholarship from the Hooker Car Show itself.
“We provide a scholarship. The qualifications should be enrolling in a continuing education auto related class,” Martin said. “There’s no age requirements, no restrictions. They can be changing occupation. They can be newly out of high school. We’ve funded one scholarship last year, and we have another one this year. We’re selling the tickets for $20 each. We’ll sell only 500 tickets, and we’re giving away five $1,000 cash prizes.”
In the nearly decade since the car show started, the event has seen significant growth, and Martin said the distance people are traveling to Hooker for the show is likewise growing.
“We’re getting people from further and further,” she said. “I had a guy call the other day wanting the flyer. He lives in Albuquerque and heard about our show and would really like to come.”
Martin said one person even brought a classic car all the way from Washington state.
“He’s originally from this area and came back on that weekend so he could be at the show,” she said. “We’re kind of spreading out a little bit.”
Martin said the car show is put together by many volunteers, who have likewise making the area of town where the event takes place look better.
“We have a lot of volunteers in Hooker that have been taking care of the downtown trees and planting flowers in the circles around the trees and taking care of the park,” she said. “Some of the sidewalk has been taken up and relayed. It kind of settles over time. It looks really nice down here.”
More than $15,000 in cash and prizes will be given out next Saturday at the car show.
“We have some really great sponsors that give us money,” Martin said. “We give away $100 every 30 minutes and two prizes. They’re usually auto related. We have two $500 grand prize winners. These are for the car show entrants.”
Those looking at cars throughout the day can also participate in a people’s choice drawing for a prize.
“They get two tickets for $1,” Martin said. “One ticket goes into the drawing for $500 cash. The other ticket is used to vote for people’s choice. Whatever car gets the most votes will get the plaque. We also have dealers that give us $100 in their name. They come over and pick out their favorite car. The owner of that car will get $100 from that dealer and the distinction of that dealer’s choice. We have three – Chrysler Corner, Stu Emmert’s and Hinchey Ford.”
Merchant drawings will also take place throughout the day.
“There’s quite of few of the merchants – the library, Mill’s, Thrifty Flea – that put up a prize,” Martin said. “You just visit their business and enter the drawing. At 3:30, we’ll draw names for all of those prizes.”
While most car shows have a welcoming atmosphere, Martin believes Hooker’s provides a feeling of something that is more than just a car show.
“We’re inviting them into our town,” she said. “They enjoy the downtown atmosphere, and the people are very friendly.”
For seniors that cannot walk into or through the car show, a shuttle ride is provided.
“We have volunteers that have golf carts that will pick them up in a specified area and bring them into the show,” Martin said.
It’s things like that that made the Hooker Car Show a little more special than others, she said.
“People just really love coming to our show,” she said.
Entry fee for the car show is $20, and for that price, participants will get a T-shirt, a ticket for all the day’s drawings and a free meal.
“Just for the $20, they get quite a bit,” Martin said.
The entry fee does go up to $30 the day of the show, however. To register, go to:
“There’s an entry form there,” Martin said. “They can fill that out and mail it in. They need to have their $20 by 7 o’clock on Friday the 5th for a pre-entry fee.”
On Friday evening, participants who come in early can get a little early start on the weekend fun.
“We’re also going to do a movie or a slide show and have light refreshments here downtown, and they can come in and register,” Martin said.
The Hooker Car Show will start early Saturday morning, and the fun will continue well into the night, according to Martin.
“After the car show on Saturday, the First National Bank is sponsoring the RBC Band,” she said. “They usually play until 11 or 12. They start about 7. We have food vendors that stick around and have food available at that time too. It’s kind of a big block party. We have a lot of people come over from Liberal for that one too.”
Those wanting more information about the car show can visit Facebook at Hooker Car Show and the event’s Web site at www.hookercarshow.com.
“All my contact information is there,” Martin said.