May 20--Palos Park turns into an automotive art showcase with 24 classic and modern cars rallying through the southwest suburb's downtown area on Saturday.
Art and the Automobile features the historic to the modern, ranging from a 1922 Citroen and 1951 Jaguar XK120 to a 1981 DeLorean DMC-12 and 2016 Alfa Romeo 4C.
The event consists of two parts, a dynamic rally rumbling through a 2-mile route in downtown Palos Park dubbed the Motogiro d' Palos Park from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m., then the cars park at the Metra station for an art showcase from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. as part of the "Love the Park" Fine Arts Fair running through the weekend.
Artists range from jewelers to potters and visual artists, while live music plays and vendors sling food and drink.
The Motogiro component is not a parade. The rare classic cars will be spaced three minutes apart so viewers can get a full sensory experience of fine automotive art.
"The sounds they make, the way they slice the air, and the smells they emit are all part of their artistic contribution," says Daniel McCarthy, who owns Elements Cremations and is the producer of Art and the Automobile. "When you hear a V-12 Jaguar with quad tailpipes it emits a certain noise that is characteristic to it. Or a 1922 Citroen coming around a turn, putt putt putt, you have an opportunity to experience that car alone in motion."
For the first ever Art and the Automobile, McCarthy, who rides and restores vintage motorcycles, wanted to separate unique vehicles as distinct works of art, instead of amassing a bunch of vehicles that overshadow each other.
"If you go to a car show and see 15 Jaguar XK together you miss the finite details," he says. "This format puts the cars alone so you can take in the full experience and see them as art."
Cost: Free
Date: Saturday, May 21
Time: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Location: Palos Park Recreation Center 8901 West 123rd Street to the
Palos Park Metra Station 12300 S. 82nd Ave., Palos Park, Ill., 60464
More info: Visit the facebook page, Palos Park Art and the Automobile, or Love the Park Fine Arts Fair.
