ROBERT PIERCE
• Leader & Times
America’s automotive past is filled with many vintage vehicles, but one of the vehicles seldom talked about, until recently, has been the pickup.
This year’s Yellow Brick Road Car Show, scheduled for this Friday and Saturday at Billy’s Blue Duck BBQ and Light Park, will put the mode of transportation at the forefront of conversations at the show.
“We try to do a theme with it, and this year’s theme is ‘Pickups Pickups Pickups!’” show coordinator Bill Hill said. “It’s going to be unique. If you’re into the car shows around the country, the big thing going the last two or three years has been pickups, suburbans, Blazers.”
Hill said classic pickups from many parts of the country will be on display Friday at Billy’s and Saturday at Light Park. He added with many nearby restaurants, stores and motels, as well as the Farmers Market taking place Saturday morning across the street from Light Park, the show provides a benefit to the local economy as well.
“I’m glad they’re doing it, and I hope it helps everybody out,” he said of the Farmers Market.
Hill said above all else, he wants the car show to benefit the community.
“We talk to people from Hugoton, Hooker, Guymon and wherever, and you’ll hear them say, ‘My brother-in-law is coming from Kansas City or Denver,’” he said. “It brings them in, and they say, ‘We come down, and my brother-in-law comes down. He’s into cars. We bring him over to the Yellow Brick Road Car Show.’”
Hill said the YBRCS is community event for everyone, and he helps all who come enjoy it that way.
“It’s a big plus,” he said. “It brings in a lot of people. It fills motels up on a weekend and hopefully the restaurants. I don’t bring in a bunch of food trucks and line my car up with food trucks. I want them to go over to eat at Vargas. I want them to go to Braum’s. I want them to go across the street and eat at the places. There’s eight or 10 places to eat there within walking distance.”
Hill said owners with Brown’s Shoe Fit, located near Light Park, have said the Saturday of the car show is one of their biggest business days.
“A lot of the ladies walk over to there to go to Brown’s,” he said. “It pays off in the long run for our community.”
The Yellow Brick Road Car Show started in 2007 and has traditionally brought in vehicles from many states, and Hill said those who come to see the antique automobiles come from many places too.
“The brother-in-law, sister-in-law, uncle, aunts, grandparents come from all around just to look and see the nice stuff,” he said. “You go to car shows, and you always get ideas of other stuff.”
Hill said he talked to a young man recently about entering his pickup in the show, and he said the youth was initially resistant to the invitation.
“I said ‘Are you going to bring that pickup to the car show?’” he said. “He said, ‘I don’t know. It’s not done. I’m doing this.’ I said ‘You show me a car that’s done, and I’ll tell you that guy’s not done because he’ll go see something else and want to change his car or his truck again.’”
Hill said he feels many antique rides are never done, but he said owners still need to get them seen at shows such as his.
“A lot of people nowadays have never seen a 1930 car, a 1950 car, a 1940 car,” he said. “It’s good to see how it’s done. Cars were built by hand back in those days instead of machines, instead of computers. It’s neat. I really enjoy it. I get to go see them. I get to spend a little time looking around.”
At the end of Saturday’s portion of the show, awards will be given out for the show’s top rides, and Hill said picking winners is often difficult due to the amount of work some vehicles have gotten.
Past editions of the YBRCS have featured music Friday night at Billy’s, and while most of those shows have featured one musical act, those on hand this Friday will get double the entertainment.
“It’s going to be a lot of fun,” Hill said. “The highlight of the entertainment will be ‘Elvis Presley’ or Joseph Hall. He’s supposed to be really good. Lendon James has local ties with the Hartshorns. Lendon is going to start performing about 5:30 or so, and Elvis will do a show at 6:30 for 40 minutes. Landon will play again, and at 8 o’clock, Elvis will do another performance. When he’s done, Landon will play until 10:30.”
An added bonus to the fun of the Yellow Brick Road Car Show, all of it is free of charge.
“Anybody can come,” Hill said. “I’m assuming we’re going to have a good crowd. It’s first come first serve with the seating. We’re not doing reserve seating.”
The Yellow Brick Road Car Show starts with registration starting at 11 a.m. Friday at Billy’s. That registration will run until 6 p.m., and Saturday’s registration will start at 8 a.m. and run until 11 a.m. at Light Park.
“We’ll give prizes out, trophies out at 3 p.m., and hopefully by 3:30 or 4 p.m., everybody’s on their merry way,” Hill said. “The weather looks perfect.”
Those needing more information about the show can e-mail
“We’re happy to do what we can,” he said. “We have flyers at the restaurant.”
Though he is always excited for the show each year, Hill said he is a little extra excited for this year’s event.
“I’m pretty fired up about this show,” he said. “I’ve seen some entry forms. Everybody’s waiting until the last minute to send in and come with the weather around. The pickups on the flyer are awesome pickups.”
Hill said the car show makes for a great weekend in Liberal and Southwest Kansas.
“You can’t get no better than the park,” he said. “It’s going to be a lot of fun, and hats off to everybody.”
