Lambs Farm Champion Car Show will be virtual
Ladies and gentlemen: There's no need to start your engines.
Instead, simply make sure your camera phone has good light, and is positioned for a flattering picture of your classic car for the annual Lambs Farm Champion Car Show.
The show is still scheduled for May 31. But unlike most years, when entrants drive to the Lambs Farm campus near Libertyville to showcase their special cars, this year, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the show will be held virtually and is open to anyone.
Entrants must send in a picture of their car, and that picture will be placed on a special Facebook page to be judged by a panel of three judges, then voted on by the general public. Winners with the most votes will receive trophies and prizes.
The cost to enter is $15, which contributes to the operation of Lambs Farm, which is just off I-94 and Route 176, and is a place where adults with developmental disabilities can create lives of their own.
"We usually have a lot of repeat people in the car show each year and our residents like that because they get to know these people and their cars," said Kathy McMeins, special events coordinator at Lambs Farm. "But this online version will be cool, too, because this doesn't have to be limited just to people who live around here and can drive here. This show is open to everyone."
So far, about 50 cars have been entered into the virtual show. McMeins said the live shows usually attract about 100 cars, but she is optimistic there will be quite a few more entrants with about a week before the deadline to enter.
Contestants must pay their entry fee and email their car pictures and a brief description of what makes their cars special to McMeins at kmcmeins@lambsfarm.org by May 28. The vote on the Lambs Farm Facebook page will be May 31 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Winners, the top 14 vote-getters, will be announced June 1.
"We usually get a lot of classic cars, from the '40s, '50s, '60s and '70s, some big old Buicks and Cadillacs, and we'll get our fair share of Mustangs and Corvettes, some supped up ones, too," McMeins said. "For some reason this year, we have a slew of Corvettes already."