BETHLEHEM, Pa. — Thousands of people and hundreds of cars massed at SteelStacks in Bethlehem Sunday morning for Cars and Coffee, kicking off the annual series of car shows put on by ArtsQuest.
- This year's first Cars and Coffee took place in Bethlehem Sunday, at the SteelStacks campus
- Cars on display ranged from exotic modern supercars to modified rally-style tuners to a vintage tractor
- The series of car shows continues through the end of the summer with monthly themed exhibitions
A cacophony of engine noise and the smell of exhaust filled the air, coming from exotic Lamborghinis, McLarens and Ferraris, and from humbler cars like Elantra type Ns and Civic type Rs, too. Some were showroom-new, but most had been tinkered with and tuned by doting owners.
Sunday’s show is the first in a monthly series to continue through September. Although the first day was an open theme, themed events to follow focusing on American, European and Japanese models.
UntitledThere was no shortage of car enthusiasts interested in seeing the lineup; attendees filled up the parking lots ArtsQuest had set aside for visitors within minutes of the car show officially opening around 9 a.m.
“No matter what you have, you're accepted. No matter what you look like, you're accepted. It's just so inviting. It’s so diverse… Everything is appreciated.”
Don Clark, a Philadelphia resident who brought his 2011 BMW 328 to Cars and Coffee
While the cars were undoubtedly the feature attraction, Cars and Coffee was about more than the machines themselves.
“That's what this campus is for. It's for bringing people from different cultures together with some common theme. And this one just happens to be automotive based,” said ArtsQuest Chief Operating Officer Curt Mosel.
“For an event like this, you'll see a car that a guy has worked on in his driveway for two years to get it literally street ready, sitting next to a million dollar car. I think nothing better speaks to that – for people from different walks of life to come here with a common interest.”
“It’s the vibe,” said Tydrece Tucker, of Wyncote, who brought his 2018 Dodge Charger to the event.
“No matter what you have, you're accepted. No matter what you look like, you're accepted,” said Philadelphia resident Don Clark, who brought his 2011 BMW 328. “It's just so inviting. It’s so diverse… Everything is appreciated.”
“Everybody can do their own touch to cars. It's personal to you – the car represents yourself. So whatever you love, it shows into what you drive,” Tucker said. “That’s why everybody loves cars.”
“There's always something for someone. That's the coolest thing,” Kenny Buezf, from Nazareth, said.
The first Cars and Coffee took place in 2013 at the Promenade Shops at Saucon Valley, before outgrowing its home and moving to SteelStacks a few years later.
For this year’s opening day, all manner of cars were invited. May will be similarly open, but each of the following three months will feature a theme: European imports in June, American muscle cars in July, and Japanese models in August.
ArtsQuest will close out the summer with a “grand finale” in September.