Sign up for 30th annual British Car Festival

This September 11th, more than 20 British car clubs, 500 automobiles and over 2,000 people are expected to join a celebration marking 30 years of the Chicagoland British Car Festival, which is much more than just a car show.

The Festival features, authentic British food, Irish dancers, music, technical learning sessions, car merchandise giveaways, classic car parts vendors and new car dealers showcasing the latest imports from Great Britain, including Jaguars and Bentleys. And for the first time, this year's festival will include valve cover racing, a gravity propelled competition using modified automobile engine valve covers on wheels.

There is also competition among the British cars on display in the form of a popular vote by all registrants. However, unlike most car events there is no formal judging, which was a precedent set with the very first British Car Festival.

This unique event will be held Sunday, September 11, 2016, from 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. at Harper College, 1200 West Algonquin Road in Palatine, Illinois.

Admission for the general public is free, with donations encouraged for Shelter, Inc., which is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing community based, emergency and longer-term housing for abused and neglected children. www.shelter-inc.org.

The early registration fee is $20.00 before August 23, 2016, and $25.00 after the deadline and at the Festival. On-site registration the day of the event is on a space-available basis. More information on the festival and registration can be found at www.britishcarunion.com or by email at wsk@elanengr.com.

The British Car Union is a nonprofit organization.