Doylestown At Dusk Car Show Brings Thousands Into Town, Raises Funds For Charity

DOYLESTOWN, PA ? Another Doylestown At Dusk Car Show is in the books. And another $30,000 has been distributed to nonprofit groups and organizations throughout the community.

The weekend show again brought thousands of people to the streets of town along with an incredible collection of rides, from brand new, just off the line electric vehicles to cars and trucks from the early days of the automotive industry.

As the show kicked off at 5 p.m., chairman Rick Millham was just happy to see no raindrops falling from the sky.

An earlier round of unexpected morning and afternoon rain had organizers wondering whether to postpone until Sunday, but as Millham explained, ?This show is like the Titanic. You don?t turn it easily. Unless you have severe weather or severe heat, we?re going to go forward with the show. And they did.

?It worked out,? Millham continued. ?We lost a few who were coming from a distance, but everybody else pushed through, endured, everybody dried off and their cars look great,? he said.

For the next five hours, thousands of people descended on the county seat for the 14th annual show, which drew 500 automobiles and trucks to the streets.

(Jeff Werner/Patch)

(Jeff Werner/Patch)

(Jeff Werner/Patch)

As the vehicles rolled in for the show, Millham said he was impressed by what he saw entering the town.

?It?s incredible,? he said of the automotive lineup. ?We lost some of the older cars that just don?t come out in the rain,? said Millham. ?But we have some amazing cars here today, including some incredibly high-end ones. You gotta look around. You have to cover every aspect of the show because there are a lot of gems in there.?

One of those gems is a 1928 Pontiac Model Landau Coupe belonging to Terry Schweiker of Yardley Borough. The car has been in the family since 1928 when his uncle purchased the car in Akron, Ohio, just two years after Pontiac opened for business. The car was later restored by his brother, Thomas.

Terry Schweiker of Yardley with his son, Michael, and his 1928 Pontiac Model Landau Coupe. (Jeff Werner/Patch)

(Jeff Werner/Patch)

The Bucks County Country Gentlemen perform during the show. (Jeff Werner/Patch)

(Jeff Werner/Patch)

Springbrooke performs at center stage. (Jeff Werner/Patch)

Terry is now the vehicle?s owner and will eventually pass it down to his son, Michael, of Jamison, who works at Penn Medicine Doylestown Health, and then to his grandchildren.

?There are very few two-door coupes like this,? said Terry, noting that it has won every antique automobile award available except for one - Grand National Senior - which he?s hoping to
win this year at the Grand National Show in Dayton, Ohio.

?This is a great show,? he said of Doylestown at Dusk. ?It?s phenomenal. Look at the people,? he said.

From West Street to Main Street, the borough bustled with the sights and sounds of this year?s show, which rolled into town at full throttle thanks to the efforts of the Doylestown Rotary Club, which stages the show to raise money for community causes.

The Rotarians opened the show with the presentation of the colors, the National Anthem performed by Springbrooke and a welcome by Doylestown Mayor Noni West.

Muscle cars, vintage Model A?s, trucks, and super expensive Ferraris and Porsches were among the vehicles appearing in the show set before a backdrop of stately Doylestown homes and prominent business establishments.

The excitement on the streets was palpable as crowds of people checked out a century?s worth of automotive excellence from Ford Model As to flashy Corvettes.

At times it was shoulder to shoulder as people filled the streets, checking out the cars, trucks, and motorcycles.

Restaurants and eateries throughout the heart of town did a brisk business. And the smell of Caribbean fare wafted through the streets.

At center stage, the popular band ?Springbrooke,? was jamming with classic rock tunes. They were followed by the return of the band "Wineskin" to the showgrounds.

Other performers scattered throughout the show area included Doylestown School of Rock and the Bucks County Country Gentlemen who transported the crowd back to the 50s with songs like ?The Lion Sleeps Tonight.?

One of the best aspects of the show is that the proceeds are channeled back into the community to support those in need.

?The number one reason we do this is because we take the proceeds from the show and we give it to deserving charities,? said Millham. ?This money from all the registrations and sponsorships goes back to people in need. It?s not about a beautiful night and fancy cars in Doylestown. It?s about giving back.?

The New Britain Food Pantry receives a check for $5,000 from the Rotarians. (Jeff Werner/Patch)

During a pause in the music, the Doylestown Rotary Club gave away $30,000 in grants from money raised at last year?s show. The recipients included the Ann Silverman Health Clinic, Good Friends Inc., the New Britain Food Pantry, Shared Wellness, the Council of Southeast PA, the Fiana Project and Health Link Dental Clinic.

For more than 20 years, Bruce Rutherford helped run the Heart of Bucks car show at Central Bucks West High School. In 2010, with the show's popularity dwindling and street shows blossoming, Rutherford approached the borough about relocating the show to State and Court Streets.

The first year of the show was a resounding success due to the show?s new setting against the dynamic and beautiful downtown backdrop.

One year later, Rutherford decided to bring the show under the umbrella of the Doylestown Rotary Club. The Rotary also gave the show a conduit to direct the proceeds to community nonprofits serving the most needy in the community, including the Bucks County Opportunity Council, the Ann Silverman Clinic, Doylestown Health, among many others.

This is the 14th year that the Doylestown Rotary Club has held its Doylestown At Dusk Car Show.

A team of Ghostbusters added to the experience with its ghost-busting response vehicle. (Jeff Werner/Patch)