Old Car Festival First Time Participant

[jmemjr]

I am a first time participant from New Jersey and will be trailering out to the event. IN reading the parking instructions and set-up I am a bit confused to the structure of parking and getting the cars to the field each day and back to the trailers each day.

In addition the gaslight parade is Saturday Evening?

Please also suggestions for the MUST do things on the weekend.

thanks!

[Bill Dizer]

Prepare to be overwhelmed by it all! The number and diversity of vehicles is hard to imagine, plus they are all driving around the village! Plus antique bicycles being ridden as well. Parking has been the limiting factor in recent years, because most of the buildings close by that were empty are now in full use. Because I was in the bicycle group, I have not had to deal with your type of parking, so I’m not much help. Near the entrance to the back of the village, there will be a registration tent, where you will stop and get your packet. It will have parking passes, wrist bands to be worn at all times, and general information. They have always been fast, efficient, and friendly for me! If they are doing things this year as they have in the past, you can unload your vehicle at the entrance, then move the trailer and tow vehicle to the parking area, and have a free shuttle van bring you back. Then you drive in, find your parking area by vehicle year, back in and set up your chairs etc. They want you in and mostly settled by about 9:00 am for opening on Saturday. Driving in the village is encouraged, so you do so, fuel can be a consideration. Several restaurants in the park or in the museum, and they get very crowded by noon! Going early, say 11:00 makes it faster! Prices are high, so packing a cooler and picnic is an option too! The gas light drive is open to all participants, electric or gas lights! It starts about dusk, which will be 8-9 pm.
Bring good walking shoes, because you will want to see the buildings and museum. Museum entrance is free with your wristband. You should have some form of vintage clothing appropriate for your vehicle. There are coal fired steam trains to get a ride on that circle the village, plus the roundhouse to go see. Have fun!

[TMiller6]

Must do:
The meet and greet mixer on Friday night. The gas light parade.
Parking is simple. There are two routes to get there from Greenfield Village. The M-39 service drive from Village Road takes you to the east of Fairlane Center. Do a U-turn on the Hubbard Drive bridge and make a right turn into the parking lot.

Or… go north on Oakwood Boulevard which is a construction mess currently and then head east on US-12 Michigan Avenue to Evergreen Road. Stay to the extreme left on Michigan and daylight travel is advised.

I do not take my car back to the trailer at night. I leave my car at the Village and use the shuttle to get back to Fairlane so I can retrieve my truck. It’s safer for me and my car.

I do not represent Greenfield Village. I am speaking as a long time participant.

[Ed Baudoux]

John, if you ca fit it into your schedule. The Piquette Plant is a few miles away from Greenfield Village. It's absolutely incredible to stand in the same spot where the T was designed. There are plenty of things to see there, and a lot of cars.

[Steve Jelf]

Ed is right about Piquette. If you can arrive a day early to allow plenty of time there, I think you will be glad you did.
Getting in and out of the village is pretty simple.

[DHort]

John

If you find the right people at the meet and greet on Friday night you can drive to Piquette on Saturday. I would not do it by yourself. 5 or 6 of us did it a few years ago and it was a blast. Not the greatest neighborhood, but if you wave and honk they will wave back at you.

Those of us that post on this site also do a meet and greet, but I forget if it is Saturday or Sunday aft at the far side of the play field in the lower half of the village. Perhaps Marty will see this and invite you and anyone else that posts on this forum.

[DHort]

Friday afternoon you have 2 options.

1. Unload your car in the Henry Ford parking lot and drive your trailer over to the Fairlane Mall. Take the shuttle back to the parking lot where you will be able to drive it into Greenfield Village. Leave it in Greenfield Village for the weekend.

2. Drive to the Fairlane Mall and find a place to park your trailer. Unload your car and drive over to the Henry Ford. Leave your car at Greenfield Village and use the shuttle to get back and forth. Ask someone if you can follow them so you learn how to drive to Greenfield Village. It is not easy the first time you do it.

[Fire_chief]

What car are you bringing?

[TeveS-Nor Cal]

What if you are a spectator and not a participant?

[Oldav8tor]

Steve,
There is parking near the entrance to the village - just get there early if you want a close one. The vast majority of visitors are like you so you'll have no problem...I forget what the charge is but it's worth it. The cars are mostly divided up by year, so you'll find different brands parked together. If someone in your group needs a mobility scooter, get there very early if you don't have your own. The rentals go very quickly.

Everyone - Usually the MTFCI (Brian Dowell, etc.) set up a small hospitality tent on the lawn in front of the Martha-Mary Chapel in area 5. Take a break and meet some of the other T people in attendance. Most importantly, don't be afraid to introduce yourself to the participants....did you ever know a car guy who didn't want to talk about his car?

[Steve Jelf]

What if you are a spectator and not a participant?

Just pay at the gate and walk into the Village.

My situation is a bit different from most. Traveling by 1915 runabout (no trailer) I was privileged to stay with friends in Wayne and drive to the day's events each morning. Unencumbered by a trailer, I never had to pay for parking.

Michigan Avenue.

[Kuhner]

This is our second time to attend. It is a little confusing, at least to me.

We drove our truck with trailer to the mall parking area. Unloaded our T, and left it in the mall lot along with our trailer. The lot has 24 hour security. We could then drive our truck to restaurants, and hotel.

Saturday morning we drove our truck to the mall parking area, got in the T and drove to the village. It’s only about a mile or so, the traffic isn’t too bad that time of day and I think most people are aware it’s Old Car Festival time.

We left before it was too dark, and traded vehicles again at the mall lot, and repeated Sunday morning.

[Ed Baudoux]

We bought a class C RV in 2013, mainly for the OCF. At the time, a lot of the old car fun happened in the parking lot. It seems that a lot of that died with Jack Zimmer. He and Jan would host a small party around their RV. We still look forward to camping wherever the parking area is each year. I'm really looking forward to seeing everyone Friday night!!

[Steve Jelf]

If Saturday twilight presents you with a choice between dinner and the headlight drive, stick around for the latter. You can eat later.

[jmemjr]

Thank you for all the suggestions and helpful hints. I will be bringing my 1909 Pierce Arrow Model 40PP and my daughter will be with her grandfathers 1902 Oldsmobile. Cars got all packed up this evening in the trailer and will be on my way Thursday Morning.