12th-Annual Mid-America Chevelle Show. Shimmering Chevelles in Shawnee

The 12th-Annual Mid-America Chevelle Club Regional Show was held last Friday and Saturday in Shawnee, Kan.  If you like Chevy’s popular intermediate, this is the place to go.  Unfortunately, everyone knew ahead of time that Saturday was going to be rainy.  I don’t really like trudging around in the rain, so I swung by the show on Friday afternoon.  I was pleasantly surprised to see that the turnout was very respectable in the lot behind the Westglen Movie Theatre.  There were several of them there that tripped my trigger.  Let’s take a look at a few of them.

Beautiful Sunday at the JDRF Advance Auto Parts Car Show in Shawnee

It seems like there aren’t as many organized car shows on Sundays, but there was a look one last weekend at the new Advance Auto Parts store in western Shawnee.  This was a benefit for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, and they did their cause proud with a parking lot that was overflowing with shiny machines.  It was a great opportunity to get out and enjoy the perfect weather, check out some great cars, and maybe even pick up a case of oil or a pine tree air freshener.

Good stuff at the Bates City BBQ Cruise

Last month my mom was kind enough to shoot some pictures of the Bates City BBQ Cruise in Shawnee, and this month I was able to check it out myself.  And I’m glad I did, because I was able to see some nice cars that I normally don’t see at my usual car cruise stops.  My dad and I were on a citywide car show tour Saturday, and this one’s in dad’s neighborhood, making it a logical stop along the way.

Mom covers the Bates City BBQ Cruise

Believe it or not, there are car shows going on around town that I can’t make it to.  Sure, I’d like to go cover them all, but there’s only so much one person can do.  Sometimes, I get some help, though.  Take last weekend.  My mom has a booth in an antique mall in Shawnee, and she called to tell me that they were having a car cruise there.  And even though I couldn’t make it, mom managed to snap a few pictures for us, and my dad was able to provide a little perspective.

Thumbing our noses at danger during the 24th-Annual Toys for Tots Run at Rawhide Harley Davidson

Bikers and hot-rodders have always had a bit of a rough reputation. Poster children for dangerous miscreants, their presence in your neighborhood is likely to result in someone getting beat to death with a chain, or maybe an out of control jalopy mowing down a toddler's birthday party.

And yet, when they're not burning a swath of terror fueled by the blood of the innocent, events like the 24th-Annual Toys for Tots Run prove that they might not be that bad after all.

Cars trickle in at the Fritz's Car Cruise

When BHo and I showed up for the Fritz’s Shawnee cruise Sunday afternoon, I wasn’t surprised that we were one of only three cars in the lot. It was a little cool out. The Chiefs were sort of playing football. The NASCAR race was underway. It just wasn’t the idea situation to have a huge turnout.

So after we parked, we went in and enjoyed a little ice cream while people had their burgers delivered via model train. Fritz’s is a good place to go for a car show, because even if there aren’t any cars to look at, you are still entertained.

Nice little gathering at the Cars in the Park Show at Shawnee Mission Park

The Cars in the Park show at Shawnee Mission Park is a pretty nice place to go if you want to spend a relaxing day with a few nice cars. This is a fund raiser for Special Olympics, and the parking area near the boat docks is a nice place to spend some time.

This is the fourth year for this show, and it has the potential to be relatively big. But the Basehor High School show is held at the same time 15 miles away, and that’s where most of the old cars seem to want to go. If they were to schedule this a little differently, I think it could really take off.

7th Annual Shawnee Wheels and Dreams Car Show was bigger than I bargained for

On Sunday, I had this bright idea that I could go to 10:30 church, partake in a heaping plate of fake Krab salad from the Golden Corral buffet with my family, go home, get the truck, dart over to Shawnee to snap a few quick pictures of the 7th Annual Wheels and Dreams Car Show, and still make it to the awards ceremony at the All-Truck Nationals in Riverside at 2:00.

Fritz's car cruise in Shawnee is the only place you can look at old cars and have your food dropped off by a train

Most Kansas Citians are familiar with Fritz’s burger joint over there in Crown Center, because if you have kids or want to take an out-of-town guest someplace fun and different, that’s just the place to go. And really, what’s not to like? They deliver your food with a model train. That’s what I’m talkin’ about!

What you may not realize is that there are two more Fritz’s locations in addition to the Crown Center restaurant. The original Fritz’s is on 18th Street in Kansas City, Kan. And then there’s the newest location, the subject of our story today, at Shawnee Mission Parkway and Pflumm in Shawnee, Kan.

Wheels & Dreams Car Show in Shawnee, Kan., had nearly 300 cars under sun-drenched skies. Story and photos!

The fifth installment of the Wheels & Dreams Car Show rolled into downtown Shawnee, Kan., over the weekend, and it is fast becoming one of the must-attend car events in the area.

Shawnee blocked off the city streets to accommodate some 300 cars, trucks, and motorcycles. And when you get a group that big, you’re bound to see some nice ones that don’t turn up anywhere else. Plus, it didn’t hurt that the weather was perfect—mid/upper-‘70s, low humidity, copious sunshine. This was the kind of day car show promoters pray for.