Traditional antique vehicle show „Biržai 2012” in Lithuania

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Traditional antique vehicle show „Biržai 2012” in Lithuania

Category:Timeless Classic 2012,Events,Events 2012

There is no doubt that every lover of antiques associates Biržai town festival with the antique car shows presented by the “Klasika” Club. Every year the “Klasika” Club brings joy to the town residents by exhibiting historic cars, motorcycles and trucks. This year’s festival was exceptional, because the antique car parade and show could boast of a good variety and quality. The total of 35 vintage vehicles attended the parade and the show. They included: 28 cars, 4 motorcycles, one tractor, and two trucks. In fact, one non-transport machine participated in the show – a steam engine „Port Huron” made in 1921. It proved to be immensely popular with the show visitors.

The antique car show began with the registration of participants in Biržai Aero Club. After registration participants left their antique cars in the territory of the club with security guards, hopped on a rented bus and headed towards the Dalius Linkevičius Farm Museum. Along the way, we stopped at the Cibas Farm Park and enjoyed antique agricultural machinery and implements in Sodeliškis village. Tea and buns along with some homemade bear that were kindly offered by Mr. Linkevičius, lifted everybody’s spirits and inspired to see and hear more. The exhibit we saw in the Dalius Linkevičius Museum was really rich. We even had a contest the winner of which had to guess how to start a John Deere tractor, made in 1926. After admiring the old and the modern vehicles and the perfectly kept Museum environment, we went back to the Biržai Aero Club.

After polishing our vehicles and dressing in accordance with the time period of each of our cars we were ready to start. At 5 p.m. we began a festive parade through the streets of the city. The car show was held at the Independence Monument. For the entire three hours of the show we were tightly surrounded by inquisitive visitors. Still we did leave our cars for a short while and visited the Sėla Museum located in Biržai Castle. Our guests from Lithuania and Latvia praised the Museum’s exhibitions and the work of professional staff. When we returned to the show, its time was coming to an end. Visitors were very reluctant to say good bye to Alfredas Zamockis’ motorcycle Douglas EW 350 made in 1927, Klementas Sakalauskas’ car Nash 660 decorated with nobleman’s coat of arms, and Leonas Lukoševičius’ Nissan Spartan, which resembled a white swan. The aforementioned vehicles earned the “Klasika” Club prizes for the oldest, the most beautiful and the most interesting vehicle. Dalius Linkevičius’ steam machine „Port Huron” that was made in 1921 was not nominated because we only gave prizes to our guests. After the show was over, we headed back to the Aero Club, where participants could enjoy refreshments, receive prizes, and listen to a concert. In a short while participants put up their tents and the aroma of grilled food and beer started overshadowing the smell of car gas. After a delicious dinner, it was time for awards and diplomas. Subsequently all interested in the procedures of recognition of historic vehicles could consult experts Vidas Grigoraitis from Vilnius and Linards Zandovskis from Riga. After serious talks ended Jurate Garnelienė invited the “Klasika” Club supporter Genovaite Bigenyte to take the stage. Genovaite Bigenyte is a Chicago Lithuanian Opera soloist. For those who participated in the „Klasika” Club event for the first time, were pleasantly surprised to hear arias from popular operas and operettas. After the classical music concert a rock band „Poliarizuoti Stiklai” took the stage. They proved to be immensely popular. Later participants enjoyed fireworks orchestrated by Dainius Nagele. And even that was not the end of the celebration as the concert went on. Jūratė Garnelienė sang several dreamy songs, and Antanas Nezinskas entertained the crowd with more intense rhythms. The two singers wound up the Saturday night gala.

Sunday morning was sunny and the smell of the delicious “Klasika” Club soup awakened the hungry ones. After breakfast, everyone could enjoy airplane jumps. Entertainment, talks and preparation for the trip home went on until noon. Inevitably the time to say goodbye came. We thank all the participants and all our friends and volunteers! We thank our sponsors, without whom this festival would not be possible: UAB Biržų Alus, AB Lytagra, UAB Konekesko Lietuva, UAB Bioagro, TŪB Rinkuškiai, UAB Patiltė, UAB Biržų Duona, UAB Evadinamika, FC Savanoris, Biržai Aero Club, Biržai Museum “Sėla”, the Grand Dukes Restaurant, Antanas Nedzinskas, Egidijus Karpavičius, Dainius Nagelė, Arūnas Zakrys, Audrius Čepinskas, Sigitas Pavilauskas, Ina Stankevičienė, Nida Alonderienė, Jūratė Garnelienė, farmers Virginijus Cibas and Dalius Linkevičius and many others who have helped us with our everyday tasks.

Thanks to the “Klasika” Club members, without whom there would certainly be no such events!

Media sponsors: „Šiaurės Rytai”, „Biržiečių Žodis”, and „Transportas” magazine.

See you at our next show!

Egidijus Einoris

President of the Antique vehicle club “Klasika”

Pictures of Dainius Nagelė