The Owls Head Museum will be revving things up to celebrate one of the most unique transportation eras of our time at the Fabulous ’50s, Sensational ’60s Car Meet & Antique Aeroplane Show next weekend. The older generation will find the stylish cars of their youth, while the younger folks can get a glimpse of what life was like, transportation-wise, more than a half-century ago.

“People get to see these cars and make a connection with grandparents and parents who grew up driving them. It’s a good feeling to make a connection with a child or grandchild this way,” said Park Morrison, public relations director at Owls Head Museum.

The 1950s and ’60s, considered by many to be the decades that created some of the most unique and stylish cars, will be featured on Runway 17, the museum’s family-friendly outdoor exhibit area. If you have a car from this era, or any pre-1990s car, you can put it on display. Car exhibitors are admitted free of charge.

But this event is not all about land transportation. World War I-era biplanes will take to the sky (weather permitting) on both Saturday and Sunday. Get to the museum early because the flying demonstrations of planes built between 1910 and 1918, which include the 1917 Fokker DR.I triplane (aka the Red Baron), will begin flying at 9:30 a.m. The air-show planes will land by 2 p.m. each day.

Coastal plane rides aboard the museum’s 1941 Stearman and 1933 Waco biplanes will be an option for museum members this weekend, for a fee.

Little ones who want some hands-on fun will find plenty to keep them active at the museum as well.

“The Kid’s Corral is always one of the busiest places at the museum because of the pedal car area,” Morrison said of the area where kids can drive miniature versions of their favorite cars and planes around the corral. For adults who enjoy a nice ride, full-sized versions of the Ford Model T will be available for free rides. The kids can join in on this fun, too.

Another special kid-friendly activity is decorating bicycles in the “scraper bike” style. Kids should bring their own bikes and the museum will provide some decorating supplies (kids are also encouraged to bring their own special touches) to make a creative entry for the bicycle parade around the show grounds at 1 p.m. on both Saturday and Sunday.

For those young ones with a creative spirit and no bike to decorate, supplies to make a Styrofoam model plane will be on hand all weekend as well.

The museum’s indoor collection of antique cars and planes offers dozens of examples of vehicles from the last century. About 90 percent of the collection is still operational. And the current exhibit, “Horse Power,” features horse-drawn vehicles used in transportation and commerce. All will be open for visitors to enjoy at this event.

To round out an interesting day at the museum, visitors can enjoy live swing music from the Three Button Deluxe band.

“There will be a dance area for people to jump and jive,” Morrison said. The band will play from 12:30 to 3 p.m. both days at the pavilion.

Staff Writer Wendy Almeida can be reached at 791-6334 or at: wea@mainetoday.com

 

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