Moonlight Starlight Car Show

By KURT NESBITT

Journal Staff Writer

NEW ULM -- Be it Model A Fords, Pontiac GTOs or pimped-out pickups, automobile enthusiasts of all ages got another chance to eyeball their dream machines Saturday night as the Starlight Moonlight car show, cruise and swap meet got rolling in around German Park.

Now in its first year, the event, billed as 'Once In A Blue Moon' was open to cars, trucks and motorcycles of all makes, models and years.

The hour-long car cruise took all those who joined through the streets of New Ulm while the exhibits on German Street and the Marktplatz Mall parking lot allowed owners to talk shop and visitors to snap a few pictures.

Down below in German Park, vendors sold things from animal hides to vintage beer cans to hot dogs and kettle corn.

Charles Albaug of New Ulm leaned against the right front fender of his 1930 Ford Model A coupe in the parking lot behind the German Park grandstand. A 'For Sale' sign was in the window. He said he decided to come to the show after he got a flyer. He said he and one of his Model As usually attend a few car shows during summer. Albaug said he prefers Fords built before 1934 for their solidness and the workmanship. The Model A was also a car he grew up with.

"This is more than what I thought it would be," Albaug said of the show. "Lucky the weather's holding out. It didn't look too good at first."

"There are some awfully cool cars here," said Ron Fleischmann, a New Ulm city councilor, as he walked through German Park with a New Ulm 150th Anniversary t-shirt on. "You can tell a lot of work went into it. There's a neat variety of stuff, it's a good night and a good crowd."

As the night went on and the sun went down, more and more people came down 3rd North Street to check out the show.

Among the rarer vehicles were a 1959 Edsel sedan, a 1950s Ford Econoline truck, a Chevrolet Corvair, a 1929 Dodge Brothers sedan, a 1969 Pontiac GTO Judge and a 1969 Dodge Charger painted to look like the General Lee from 'The Dukes of Hazzard' with a white squad car that followed it with its lights flashing.

John Ellis of Armstrong, Iowa, said that while he's been to New Ulm a few times before, Saturday was the first time he'd come to town for a car show. He said he drove his 1941 Chevrolet Special Deluxe sedan simply because he heard there was a car show in New Ulm. Ellis said he usually takes his car wherever he hears of a show.

"I think it's a real good show," he said, relaxing in a folding lawn chair underneath a tree besides the curb of German Street. "There are some real beautiful cars out here."