The glistening chrome, the polished paint gleaming in the bright sunlight on a beautiful Saturday – for car people, it’s the highlight of their week. Summer is car show season, but when the weather stays nice, the season stretches all the way through October.
Each year in central Indiana there are hundreds of car shows for us gear heads to attend. Most of them run shows locally that benefit charities. The season kicks off in March with the Autorama World of Wheels. This is an indoor show that features nationally touring show cars as well as local builds that make the stringent cut, as all entrants must be accepted and approved by the show chairman.
The outdoor shows really kick in around May as the weather has warmed and the spring rain dissipates. Each weekend, shows can be found all over Indiana and they continue as long as weather permits. As October nears, fewer and fewer car shows are scheduled for fear that cold, rainy weather might come along and prevent even the diehard cruisers from leaving their garages. If the World of Wheels is the beginning of car show season, then the Restoration Church Car Show has quickly become known as the last “big show” of the year.
Pastor Dave Stephenson of the Restoration Church located in Whiteland, Indiana, started noticing that the church had a lot of members who were into old cars. He considered starting an impressive car show, and along with Danny McDermott and an army of church volunteers, they set out to do just that!
This year’s show was the fourth annual show, and each year it has grown, making it one of the most attended shows in central Indiana. Always held on the first Saturday in October, the church leaders hoped that the late date would help draw in those looking for those final shows of the year. While there were a handful of shows that followed this year in the area, many still look to the Restoration show as the grand finale.
All of the proceeds from the show go directly to the church’s children’s ministry. This year saw 340 cars registered for the show, with an additional 40 that arrived after the publicized registration time cutoff. Around 75 to 100 church volunteers are on hand during the show, making sure the event is well-run and creating a great day for all involved. “We love doing it,” said Stephenson.
Several factors contribute to a successful and enduring car show. The first is good weather. In the car show world, weather will make or break a show. “We always schedule a rain date, but in four years we have been blessed with perfect weather,” Stephenson shared. Many other factors help grow a show, including the awards presented, prizes, the timing and flow of the event, and activities that make the show fun for all in attendance.
This year’s show saw 96 awards presented including a top 40, and best-in-class trophies that look like miniature automotive creepers. In a local show first, championship rings were included as well. Along the way to the awards ceremony, participants and spectators are treated to a DJ spinning classic car tunes, food offerings including barbecue, and games.
Few shows can rival the prizes that this show offers in the raffle drawing. This year’s grand prize was a Yamaha golf cart. In years past, the grand prize has been an LS engine and a car trailer, making the raffle tickets a cheap way for any entrant to leave the show with a cool prize in tow.
Perhaps the best part is that, thanks to the proceeds going towards the children’s ministry, the church will soon break ground on a new children’s wing of the church, including a gymnasium to offer sporting opportunities to the growing church’s youth members.
The show has also helped in growing the membership of the church, as many show entrants returned to the church a few weeks later for their annual chili cook-off and realized they had found a welcoming congregation who enjoys fellowship through these outreach events. Once a year, the church even takes their service on the road and offers a service at Lake Lemon, inviting the congregation to a powerful church service followed by a day of family fun at the lake.
The plans for the 2025 Restoration Car Show are already well underway. Each year the team sets a goal, and next year they are aiming for over 400 car show entries! With a 17.5-acre campus, they have plenty of room to hit that target and beyond.
“We are so appreciative of those who come out to the car show and what they do to help the children,” Stephenson said.
Speaking on behalf of the car community, we thank Stephenson, McDermott and the entire staff of volunteers who work so hard to make their show a can’t-miss event. Be sure to mark your calendars, as October 4, 2025, will be the date for next year’s show. Of course, if you would like to visit before then, the church offers weekly Sunday services, and many of the members regularly drive their favorite hot rod to the service as well as the other regular events they schedule.
The 2024 car show season may have ended, and for us car people, the dreariness of winter has set in. We will use these next few months to do any needed repairs, modifications or upgrades to our beloved rides, so they will be ready when the sun and warm weather return.
Until then…keep cruising!
