Shepherd’s Super Summer Car Cruise comebacks
Shepherd’s Super Summer Car Cruise comes back
By Joshua Clark | Posted: Tuesday, August 8, two thousand seventeen 9:00 pm
Even tho’ it was far from a certainty as recently as June, the area’s largest annual event, the Super Summer Car Cruise, will roll through Ozark Mountain Country beginning Thursday morning at the Shepherd of the Hills Homestead and Escapade Park.
“When we very first purchased the property, it was so funny how many people came up and asked me one of two questions,” Shepherd of the Hills Homestead Venture Park co-owner Jeff Johnson said. “It was either, ‘Is the play coming back?’ or ‘Are you going to have the Super Summer Car Cruise?’ That happened so often we were like, ‘Heck, I guess we need to have this cruise.’ It was a bit surprising just how significant this event is to so many people, and what’s ironic is that before I knew what this event truly was, I already knew I dreamed to put a duo of car events on the property on an annual basis.
“So possibly, maybe, we may add a few car events and other things across the course of the year.”
After fifty seven years as a top tourist destination in Ozark Mountain Country, the Shepherd of the Hills Historic Homestead and Outdoor Theatre closed earlier this year, leaving the future of the property, as well as the annual car demonstrate, in jeopardy. Albeit Johnson and his business playmate Steve Faria announced their purchase of the homestead in July, the board of aldermen approved a permit for the cruise June 30.
According to Johnson, even however the “will it or won’t it happen” question about what was going on at Shepherd of the Hills was asked for several months leading up to the announcement, it hasn’t truly affected the number of folks participating in this year’s event.
“It hasn’t truly hurt it at all,” Johnson said. “There were a few people who did determine to go to another event when this one was in flux, but that number is pretty petite. We’re still looking at about four hundred cars, which is awesome.”
“The cruise,” as it is referred to around town, is actually part car demonstrate, part parade and has traditionally been the busiest weekend of the summer, according to Branson Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce and CVB Director of Public Relations Lynn Berry. This year, the event is set to feature “about 400” cars, trucks and other vehicles from the beginning of the automotive industry through today, displayed via the 160-acre homestead.
The “Show ‘N’ Shine” portion of the event runs from eight a.m. until five p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday. There will also be a presentation of the Shepherd of the Hills “Outdoor Drama” kicking off at 8:30 p.m. Friday. The award ceremony will be held at four p.m. Saturday.
In addition to the hundreds of automobiles parked across the homestead, several different types of automotive vendors will also be located across the property, many specializing in hard-to-find parts or collectors items. Plus, Johnson said there will be unique dining options, including some food truck cuisine.
Once the weekend’s awards are passed out, the event comes to a head as the midnight cruise starts at the homestead and proceeds to the corner of seventy six Country Boulevard and Shepherd of the Hills Expressway. From there, cruisers will be rolling east down Shepherd of the Hills Expressway, before ending up at the intersection of Roark Valley Road.
This is one of the most popular events of the summer, and crowds will begin laying claim to catches sight of along the cruise route with tables and chairs as early as Thursday.
The cruise commences at midnight Saturday night, and as always, there is no charge to attend.
As far as the “Show ‘N’ Shine” at the Shepherd of the Hills Homestead and Escapade Park, single day tickets for children and adults, as well as family passes and two- or three-day combo tickets may be purchased at the gate.
“This is an affordable thing for families to do together,” Johnson said. “This event is about so much more than the cruise . it’s a chance to see these classic automobiles up close, talk to different people and meet fresh folks. It’s amazing how many of these car people have become friends because of the showcase on this property. It truly has become like a community unto itself. All the money we make on this is coming through the gate, and that’s okay.
“We weren’t doing this event this year to make money on it, we were doing it in order to proceed this event, which has become so significant to the area.”
