Organizers of the Highlands Motoring Festival celebrated another successful series of events in 2022 on Thursday with a check presentation to the three Macon County nonprofits the festival supports.
The festival’s net proceeds of $105,000 will be distributed equally between the Literacy and Learning Center, the Community Care Clinic of Highlands and Cashiers and REACH of Macon County. The motoring festival itself is a 501C3 organization run entirely by volunteers.
The 15th annual Highlands Motoring Festival was held June 9-12. Amazing antique and collector cars were seen all over town during the four-day event, which consisted of two days of driving tours, three evening gatherings, a parade on Main Street and a pair of classic car shows.
As always, the centerpiece of the festival was Saturday’s “Cars in the Park” juried car show, which drew a crowd of more than 3,000 attendees to view 85 classic cars. The festival has grown significantly since its inception, not by adding more cars to the show, but by attracting unique cars and improving the quality of the show through an invitational entry process.
More than 50 volunteers joined the 15-person planning committee to put on the events.
“The Highlands Motoring Festival would like to thank the entire Highlands community, including citizens, volunteers, businesses, organizations and government officials/staff, because without them none of the events would have been possible,” HMF communications director Steve Ham said.
Organizers are already gearing up for the 16th annual festival June 8-11, 2023. Along with other classic cars, the history of BMW will be told through a curated display of vintage BWM’s. Registration will open in January via the event website at www.HighlandsMotoringFestival.com.