By SCOTT WEISSER
THE GOSHEN NEWS
GOSHEN —
They like getting together. They like to show off their cars. And for this group of automobile enthusiasts, Goshen’s First Fridays is a fine fit.
This week’s First Fridays will mark the fourth year for the Porsches to GOshen car show, in which members of the Michiana Region of the Porsche Club of America showcase their rides. Jonathan Wieand, the local Porsche club’s event chairman, suggested the group get involved with First Fridays.
“We just put together a rather relaxed drive to Goshen (and parked the vehicles on Washington Street),” Wieand said of the inaugural event. “Everybody in the club really enjoyed that.”
Wieand guessed that 35 vehicles would be shown this year, up from the 30 on display at the 2009 event. The car show is set from 5 to 9 p.m., with club members and other Porsche owners from this area invited to participate. Anyone wanting to show their Porsche can register from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Friday at West Washington and Main streets, or by e-mailing info@taxsolutions.com.
First Fridays attendees will have the opportunity to vote for their favorite car, potentially earning the vehicle’s owner a $25 gift certificate. Awards will also be presented for vehicles that traveled the longest distance, and for the Porsche best prepared for the event.
At 7:30 p.m., Porsche drivers will cruise through the downtown. Rides will be offered for people who sign up and pay $10. That money goes to the First Friday’s entertainment fund, Wieand said.
The Porsche Club of America is the largest brand-specific car club in the world, Wieand said, and has been around for 55 of the 60 years Porsches have existed. The Michiana club has around 150 members from northern Indiana and southern Michigan.
Fall fashions
This First Fridays also marks the start of the downtown Fall Fashion Tour — and gives new meaning to the term “still life.”
Several downtown fashion retailers will have “live mannequins” on display from 6 to 8 p.m.
“They’ll actually be people instead of mannequins (posing) in the store windows,” said First Fridays director Grace Hunsberger. “They will be showing fall fashions.”
The models will range in age from 7 months to adult, she said.
The live mannequin approach is something new for First Fridays, Hunsberger said, though for the past few years a fashion show has taken place in the Goshen Theater.
Other First Fridays activities include:
• Musical performances on East Washington Street between Boscos Place and Better World Books. Kent Arnsburger will play steel drums from 5:30 to 7 p.m., and Zion Lion will play from 7 to 10 p.m.
• The New World Arts’ rummage sale that continues into Saturday.
Items being sold include clothes, shoes, costumes, a piano, renovations supplies including a shower unit, hardware, construction supplies, shop vacuum, tools, home decorating, furniture and more.
The sale will take place at the old Troyer building, 302 S. Main St., on the corner of Jefferson and Main streets, across from the Goshen Chamber of Commerce. The sale will be open Friday from 5 to 9 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• “Free 2 B Me — Empowering Kids to Make Healthy Choices” at the southeast corner of the courthouse lawn from 6 to 8 p.m. Nearly a dozen local businesses that offer services to children and their parents will be on-site. Live demonstrations of children’s yoga and tae kwon do will be performed throughout the fair and health screenings will be available.
• An old-fashioned ice cream social at 7 p.m. at City Church of the Brethren, 203 N. Fifth St. The ice cream is free.
First Fridays is a monthly event highlighting Goshen’s downtown.
