HICKORY CORNERS, Mich. — When the Gilmore Car Museum—known as North America’s Largest Auto Museum—reopened to the public after the state-mandated three-month shutdown, they announced two major events completely out of their “wheelhouse.”
The Museum will host a graduation ceremony for their local high school, followed the next day by a special concert by a nationally acclaimed band – both set in an outdoor drive-in theater style.
“As many restrictions were lifted,” Museum spokesperson Ken Fischang explained, “we felt it important to offer our neighbors—our community—hope that we’re all making a comeback.”
The Museum’s Community Comeback weekend, presented by Grundy Insurance, begins Friday, July 10th with a complete graduation ceremony for the Delton-Kellogg High School class of 2020. On Saturday evening, July 11th the Museum welcomes Grammy Award winning artist of THE ENGLISH RAIN, a celebrated BEATLES cover-band from Nashville, TN for a style fundraising concert.
In the midst of the global pandemic, the last several months have brought a whole new, unexpected reality to 2020. Business shutdowns, employees furloughed and mandated “Stay at Home” orders have impacted nearly everyone worldwide. Wearing face masks in public, practicing social distancing and phrases such as “COVID-19” and “the new normal” have become the vernacular of our comeback.
Yet, the inability to get haircuts for months, the postponement of summer blockbuster films, cancelled Fourth of July fireworks and nonexistent High School graduations ceremonies, just doesn’t feel normal.
The Gilmore Car Museum near Kalamazoo, Michigan couldn’t agree more.
When the state-mandated closure for museums was lifted, allowing doors to be reopened to the public (of course, with all the elements of the “new normal” in place), the Gilmore felt it important to offer their community—equally hard hit—with something special.
“That’s where the idea of a Community Comeback weekend took hold,” Fischang stated.
Both events, the high school graduation ceremony on Friday and the Saturday evening fund-raising concert, will be set in an outdoor drive-in theater style where guests either stay in their cars or sit near them in their own lawn chairs for social distancing.
The Museum will transform one of their large car show fields on the 90-acre historic campus into a drive-in setting. Families and ticket holders will park their cars in front of an elevated stage complete with the concert’s sound system and the ability to listen from a car’s FM radio.
Admission to the graduation will be made through the school district. The limited number of drive-in concert tickets (offered by advanced sale only), are available at GilmoreCarMuseum.org and cost only $28 per carload. Funds raised by the concert will go toward many of the Museum’s free community engagement efforts such as its high school auto restoration program, K-12 field trips, weekly cruise-in nights and free active military admissions.
“We are ecstatic that Grundy Insurance, a national provider for the car collector hobby, stepped forward as a presenting sponsor of this Community Comeback weekend.”
Jeff Romig, Museum President continued, “That’s allowing us to offer the class of 2020 a real graduation experience and bring in a nationally acclaimed band and help us support our community programming.”
THE ENGLISH RAIN cover band has been showcased for the past decade at Abbey Road On The River, the largest BEATLES festival in North America. While they don’t actually look like the Beatles, just close your eyes and you’ll swear you just put the needle down on a Fab Four record.
The Beatles’ Ed Sullivan appearance launched a million music careers and these guys are living proof. Members of THE ENGLISH RAIN all play professionally in Nashville with some very impressive pedigrees. Between record production, international performance tours, multiple Grammy wins and platinum album sales the musicians of THE ENGLISH RAIN are true renaissance men who love “returning to the well” of BEATLES music.
COME TOGETHER and Spend an evening at the Gilmore Car Museum’s Community Comeback Concert and enjoy a night of BEATLES hits as THE ENGLISH RAIN reproduces the soundtrack of your life.
Grundy Insurance has specialized in classic and collector car insurance since 1947 plus offers a full range of coverage options for all your motor vehicle needs.
The world-renowned Gilmore Car Museum is located just 20 minutes north of Kalamazoo or 45 minutes south of Grand Rapids. Purchase your concert ticket or learn more at GilmoreCarMuseum.org.
This unique Community Comeback Weekend is presented by Grundy Insurance
- Gilmore Car Museum is hosting Delton-Kellogg High School graduation on its 90-acre historic campus
- A Drive-In concert will take place the following day.
- Grammy Award winning artists will perform live and in person with cars parked as if at a drive-in theater, providing social distancing and a safe environment for all attendees.
- Concert is Saturday, July 11, 2020 at 6:30pm, gates open at 4:30pm
- $28.00 per carload concert ticket (advanced sales only) purchased via GilmoreCarMuseum.org
- Fundraiser for non-profit Gilmore Car Museum’s multiple FREE community endeavors such as weekly Wednesday Cruise Nights, K-12 school educational field trips, Gilmore Garage works - high school auto restoration program, FREE active military admissions, Ride the Classics, high school Cross Country Conference site, and etc.
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