By Rita Howell

If you’re coming to the Downtown Square on Saturday, be warned: you won’t find a place to park there. Every parking space is likely to be taken up by the shiny cars, trucks, and motorcycles entered in the second Show Off on the Square open car show.

Expected are 250 to 300 vintage vehicles, according to Mayor Jerry Autrey. So spectators might have to walk a little distance, as they do for the Christmas Parade or SpringFest.

In fact, Autrey said he is hoping the Show Off will become the town’s premier fall event, much the same as SpringFest is for the spring.

The event has been expanded this year to include children’s activities, sponsored by the Junior Auxiliary, and an arts and crafts fair. The Kids’ Corner will be located in the city hall parking space and offers a range of free activities, like face painting, hula hoops, games and simple craft projects. There will also be a petting zoo and a children’s train ride, also free, according to Colleen Clark, manager of Batesville’s Main Street program, Show Off co-sponsor with the city.

About 25 arts and crafts vendors are expected to display and sell items in the blocked-off portion of College Street, leading into the Square, Clark said.

There will be concessions all day, event T-shirts for sale, a deejay, live entertainment by country and southern rock band One Way Out from 2-4 p.m., and a monster truck on display.
Events are centered at the Memorial Park.

“There will be something for everyone,” the mayor said. “And the forecast is for beautiful weather.”

For the car show, more than 125 trophies will be awarded in more than 40 classes. There will be cash drawings and door prizes. Events start at 8 a.m.

The Delta Street Rods are helping organize the show. Sponsors include Heafner Motors, Hallmark Motors, O’Reilly’s, and Zaxby’s. For information about the show, call 561-5163.

Admission is free to spectators, who will find parking opportunities behind the courthouse, along Van Voris, the Batesville Clinic parking lot, on College Street, Atwell, and the school parking lots.
Pancake breakfast

Taking advantage of the Show Off scheduling, members of the Batesville Exchange Club will sponsor their annual pancake breakfast in the cafeteria at Batesville Intermediate School, just down College Street from the Square.

Hours are 7-10 a.m. Tickets are $4 and may be purchased at The Panolian.
Proceeds will go toward the Exchange Club’s main area of interest, child abuse prevention.