Car-show organizers search for new sponsor

WINTER GARDEN — Droves drove to the large parking lot on West Plant Street for what might have been the last Cruz-N-Car Show, a tradition each third Saturday of the month for about seven years.

The longstanding sponsorship of the show from the Winter Garden Merchants Association ended recently, based on cost increases that caused the association to lose money with the show each month, secretary Alauna Friskics said.

“At ... the beginning of the summer, the merchants voted to allow the leaders of the car show to take full ownership of the event and gave the leaders three months to find additional funding and keep the show running,” she said. “There was discussion at that meeting that made it clear that the merchants had no intention of ending the car show. 

“The car show leaders were running a successful show on their own, but on paper, the merchants were the producers of the event,” Friskics said. “We just turned the producing responsibility over to them.”

Jennifer Johnston, who coordinated the event as its disc jockey, said costs included purchasing awards for winning cars and DJing fees. Revenue such as proceeds from a 50/50 raffle went to the association, but costs still exceeded it.

The sides discussed constraints on the show, association concerns of littering and enforcing the proper parking times for the show, with costs added as certain issues were addressed, Johnston said.

“We could have cut costs … but their idea was to charge people who drive cars into Winter Garden, but we always pushed back on that,” she said. 

But Johnston and Friskics agreed the show contributed to the downtown vibrancy.

“We can’t deny what the car show has done for our community,” Friskics said.

The show began with a goal to attract more visitors to downtown Winter Garden while Winter Garden Village was preparing to open, Johnston said.

“We had talked with (companies) who were behind starting a car show, and we said this would be the best time to start a car show to keep residents at local businesses,” she said.

But decreased attendance led to the loss of money and decision to discontinue the sponsorship, she said.

Johnston said she has spent hours searching for a new sponsor for several months, but only a partial sponsorship materialized in time. Since then, the community support via social media, turnout and petitions has caused some local entities to emerge with offers to sponsor, she said.

Next week, Johnston will discuss the issue with city officials.

“Based on these meetings, we will make a decision as to how we will move forward with the car show and third Saturday of the month events,” City Manager Mike Bollhoefer said.

Johnston, who DJs other shows, said Cruz-N-Car might be the best in the state.

“There’s a lot of passion about the event, and if there’s any way we can adjust … we could continue the event downtown and not lose the momentum that’s been built over the years,” she said. “It’s really thanks to the merchant sponsors who gave their donations every month. We couldn’t have done it without them.”

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DRIVING DISTANCE

Below are several other car shows in the area. 

Cars and Coffee Orlando

WHEN: 8 to 10 a.m., third Saturday each month

WHERE: House Blend Cafe, 10730 W. Colonial Drive, Ocoee

INFO: facebook.com/CarsAndCoffeeOrlando; (407) 656-7676

Founders’ Day Classic Car Show

WHEN: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Nov. 14

WHERE: McKey Street, downtown Ocoee

INFO: OcoeeFoundersFestival.org; (407) 877-7422

Orlando Cars and Coffee

WHEN: 8 to 10 a.m. Oct. 10

WHERE: 1530 Celebration Blvd., Celebration

INFO: facebook.com/OrlandoCarsAndCoffee; [email protected]

Ford of Clermont Open Car Show

WHEN: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Oct. 17

WHERE: Ford of Clermont, 1101 E. Highway 50

INFO: facebook.com/events/980216525376265; (352) 394-6161

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Contact Zak Kerr at [email protected].