Classic cars featured at arts fest

Creekside City Park turned into a classic car concourse on Saturday.

People crowded in early in the morning hours, even before the Sisters Arts & Crafts Festival at the park was officially open.

Tony Madrigal's music from the '50s and '60s floating across the air added to the sense of nostalgia the cars evoked.

The Iron Maidens -  Classy Women, Classy Rides - were in charge of the "Classic Car Cruise-In," and event organizer Richard Esterman said he was more than happy to turn over the car portion of his event to the car experts. Proceeds from their entry fees and the festival's silent auctions all went to the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Oregon.

The Iron Maidens started five years ago in Redmond where they meet once a month for dinner.

"It's a predominantly male hobby," club member Nadine Katz said, recalling how their group had been formed. "But there are so many women who are interested in cars. The conversation at our dinners is always car-related, what part we can't find, car shows, color of carpet. We never talk about personal stuff."

Gary Jones cruised in early with his polished orange 1958 Corvette, salvaged from a junkyard. The frame was perfect, everything else is brand new.

His car is pretty special, but it is also just a regular, drive-it-everywhere car.

"I drive it almost every weekend to car shows and the gas station," Jones said pointing out the exhaust pipes most people miss hiding in the bumper.

Sharon Arnett tried to explain her husband Lynn's 1965 Ford Mustang in his absence.

"Lynn added dual mufflers to make it noisier," Sharon said, pointing to the added feature. "He wanted it to sound like a V-8, not a six. The color is called springtime yellow, but really, it's the color of butter. I call it the little yellow money pit."

The horse whinny of the car horn was something the crowd didn't hear until the husband got back.

These drivers pamper their cars like spoiled children: polished to the nines, never-ever driven in winter, fed only the best gasoline, and dusted off after every trip out of the garage.

Woodies were the rage in the '50s and early '60s. There was only one at the cruise-in: a 1952 Buick Super. Vern Johnson of Sisters showed off the Eastern Tennessee white ash side panels. He and his wife Elizabeth did all the work on the car, including re-upholstering the interior - everything except the

chrome.