Classics in the Park
Enthusiasts of classic cars travel to museums all over America to see the best of the best. On June 14 some of these museums are sending classic cars to Highlands.
The Highlands Motoring Festival will stage its four-day festival of driving tours, a Main Street parade, two car shows, and a charity Gala during the second week of June.
The scenery and high elevation of WNC along with mountain roads have long attracted enthusiasts. For the past eighteen years Highlands has hosted the Highlands Motoring Festival as it has grown into an important community asset, donating hundreds of thousands of dollars to local human needs charities. The all-volunteer team of enthusiasts who stage the event recognize that a town as unique as Highlands deserves a car show of equal uniqueness. Over the past eight years an emphasis has been placed on recruiting the highest quality and most interesting cars and owners resulting in significant national attention. In 2019, the festival was awarded the “Best Concours Event” in the land by Classic Motorsports Magazine. That same year Dennis Gage was on the HMF show field recording an episode of his TV show “My Classic Car”, seen weekly by millions of viewers worldwide.
For 2025, as always, the festival returns on the second weekend of June, with its seven events spanning four days. It all starts with the “One Lap of the Mountains” driving tours on the roads of WNC in carefully curated routes to explore the area’s natural beauty and wonderful mountain roads creating a unique driving experience. Both of this year’s driving events sold out in January, but there is another option for everyone. Ten years of driving tours from past festivals have been packaged into softbound tour books. Look for the “One Lap” and “Second Lap” books on sale year-round at Highlands Hiker on Main Street in Highlands.
On Friday afternoon, classic cars will start gathering in Kelsey Hutchinson Park in preparation for the much anticipated “Main Street Parade” which departs precisely at 6:05pm for a round trip tour of Main Street Highlands much to the delight of hundreds of spectators who have learned to bring chairs and find the best spot for viewing rare and priceless classics. It is free to spectators and participants. All interesting cars are eligible but must be in the park by 5:15 p.m.
The centerpiece event is Saturday’s “Classics in the Park”, a judged showing of classic cars that have been invited by the Selection Committee. Every car on the show field has undergone a rigorous vetting process to curate a display which tells stories of a bygone era. Sometimes, more interesting than the car itself, are the stories of the owners and their history with the car. In 2025, the featured marque will be “The Cars of Enzo Ferrari” and will showcase two dozen Ferraris along with other judged classics from later periods through the 1980s. In 2025, four Museums are sending vehicles: the Lane Museum, the Coker Museum, the Savoy Museum and the Cogan Collection. But most of the cars come from private collections. To give a sense of the quality level of these invited classics, half of the eighty-five show cars will arrive in Highlands on transporters. This event is free to the public, but donations will be accepted at the gates which open at 9:30 a.m. At noon all the cars on the show field will participate in the annual “Drivers- Start Your Engines” exercise. Winners of the judged classes are announced at 1p.m. and the show ends at 3:30 p.m.
On Saturday night the excitement continues with the “Motoring Gala” at Wildcat Cliffs Country Club, with adult beverages, dinner, silent and live auctions, and a special presentation. Past speakers have included Miles Collier, Bill Warner, and Brian Redman. This year, Mr. Corky Coker will take the stage to share his experiences with the vintage and classic cars. Mr. Coker pioneered the tire industry for antique cars. His long time involvement with classic cars goes back to the family business “Honest Charley’s Speed Shop” an early mail order source for performance parts. This paid event starts at 6pm and all proceeds go to the festival’s three charity beneficiaries: the Literacy and Learning Center, REACH of Macon County, and the Community Care Clinic of Highlands and Cashiers.
The final event of the festival is back in the park on Sunday morning with a second, less formal, car show “High Octane” where all interesting vehicles are invited to display their pride and joy, from 8:30 to 11 a.m. There is no judging or entry fee, and cars are allowed to arrive and depart anytime.
The festival is staged by an all-volunteer team of enthusiasts. On the day of the show, it takes more than 50 individuals to carry out the many facets of the festival. Volunteers are needed to help on Saturday, June 14 and can sign-up to volunteer on the group’s website homepage.
Schedule of Events
Thursday June 12, 2025:
• “One Lap of the Mountains- Grande” - Driving Tour 7:45 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Friday June 13, 2025:
• “One Lap of the Mountains - Speciale” Driving Tour 7:45 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Main Street Parade of Classic Cars 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.
Saturday June 14, 2025:
• “Classics in the Park” Invitational Judged Car Show in the Kelsey - Hutchinson Park 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• “Horsepower Charity Gala” Vineyard at High Holly 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Sunday June 15, 2025:
• “High Octane” Social and Car Gathering in Kelsey-Hutchinson Park. 8:30 a.m. to 11 a.m.
Further information can be found at: www.HighlandsMotoringFestival.com.