Classic Car Show Returns to Lynbrook

Thursday night saw the return of a popular summer tradition on the Lynbrook streets.

The Lynbrook Chamber of Commerce Summer Car Show made its debut with a variety of classic and restored automobiles on display.

The show, which is free of charge to the public, will run every Thursday night from 6-8 p.m. in the municipal parking area behind the shops on Atlantic Avenue. The event runs until Aug. 30.  

Twelve years ago, the chamber started the show to draw business to the Lynbrook downtown area. It has since grown in popularity and become a hallmark of summer nights in the village. 

“It’s become a community event,” chamber member Harry Levitt said. “If the chamber ever wanted to [stop doing it], the residents would [miss it].”

Luckily, the chamber doesn’t have any intention of ending the tradition anytime soon. The nights are as popular as ever. An average of 125 classic cars fill the lot each week, according to Levitt.

One of the cars appearing on Thursday belonged to Vally Stream resident Mike Radomski.

Following the directions of a 1970s magazine article, Radomski turned his 1967 Volkswagen Beetle into a “woody wagon.”

“The whole car is built out of scrap,” he said. “The different pieces of it are subflooring from a kitchen, window trim from around my house, the boards that hold up my box spring mattress, draw pulls from an office building and assorted stuff from the trash.”

Classic car owners like Radomski love mingling with fellow collectors. Many parked their cars in the lot and eagerly rushed to see what others had brought. It’s the love of the hobby that bring these people together and keeps them coming back.

“You get to a certain age and you need a toy,” Walter Halloway said of his fellow collectors. “Every guy has to have at least one toy and that’s mine.”   

Levitt agreed.

“It’s men and their machines,” he said. “They like to come and show off their cars.”

However, that’s not to say car collectors are the only ones who show up. Members of almost every age group could be seen enjoying the evening. 

“It’s the community spirt,” Levitt said of what makes summer Thursdays special. “Everyone knows each other. People bring their kids. It’s a nice night to spend with the family.”  

But the event isn’t just about looking at cars of a certain age. On June 28, organizers will seek donations for the Operation Wounded Warrior.

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“We raised $1,500 last year,” Levitt said. “This year, we’re going to divide [the money] up between the Lynbrook Fire Department and a group who pays for families from the Walter Reed Hospital to spend a weekend in Long Beach.”  

The Lynbrook Fire Department transports supplies to Walter Reed, according to Levitt.