The small town of Newport, Indiana which normally has a population of just over 500, is welcoming tens of thousands of guests this weekend. It is the weekend of the 55th Newport Antique Auto Hill Climb.
{Trophies waiting to be awarded this weekend.}
Mike Laney, President of the Newport Lions Club, says antique and classic cars from across the country will be participating….
Audio Player{AUDIO: ”It’s really just a car show, but it is very competitive. Some of them get real competitive. Some of them are just here for the show. A lot of real good-looking antique cars.”}
Activities begin Friday afternoon and run all weekend….
Audio Player{AUDIO: ”If you come in the afternoon there will be a lot of the food stands open, (and) some of the flea markets. There’s a cruise-in at night and we have a little street dance. A lot of the local establishments have their own bands and get-togethers. The main kick-off is Saturday morning. We do practice from 8:00 a.m. until four in the afternoon. So the cars will be running on Saturday for practice.”}
{Looking down from the top of the famous 1800 foot long Newport Hill.}
The opening ceremony for the competition is at 10:30 Sunday morning (Indiana time) with timed runs on the hill occurring throughout the day.
{Raffle tickets are being sold for a chance to win this 1938 Plymouth.}
Since this is the 55th Newport Antique Auto Hill Climb, Laney was asked what he thinks has kept it going all those years….
Audio Player{AUDIO: ”I like to believe that it’s the cars first of all. It’s our drivers. It’s our community, it’s the way we come together. And then the way we work with our community and everybody that comes to it – to keep it strong.”}
If you are heading to Newport this weekend, Laney says be prepared for heavy traffic along route 63….
Audio Player{AUDIO: ”If you’re out on the highway (route 63) please be patient. Make sure you’ve got a full tank of gas. It’s going to take you a little while to get into town if you come on Saturday or Sunday midday – or late morning. If you come early you’re probably going to have a better time getting into town. Come a little later, the same thing. We do have camping – first come, first served, if you want to try to camp. But please be patient with all of our law enforcement and emergency services who are trying to get you into this as best they can – into a small town that was not built for that kind of traffic.”}
Additional information about the Newport Antique Auto Hill Climb can be found at www.newporthillclimb.com.
The 2023 Covington Apple Festival is also taking place this Saturday (September 30th, 2023). It runs from 9:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. (EDT) around the square in Covington.
