THOMASVILLE, Ga. — There’s a new model of car show rolling off the assembly line this weekend and organizers are hoping it will get auto enthusiasts’ engines revving and shift the public’s interest into high gear.

The first annual Old Dixie Highway Car Show will vroom into Ochlocknee from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday at the Old South Day grounds, 5020 Spence St. The event is free and open to the public.

The idea for a car show fundraiser was introduced last fall during an Ochlocknee Community Civic Club Inc. meeting. The club decided to go for it earlier this year.

“Events like this offer a place for local residents to go for the day without the added expense of traveling,” Belen Ausburn, an event coordinator, said.

President Libby Maddox, also an event coordinator, said, so far, the club has between 75-100 show entries and calls keep coming.

“We’ve had a great response so far, more so than we ever expected,” she said.

Ausburn said the show is sure to have something for everyone, be it “classic, muscle, or vintage.”

“We have cars coming from as far as Waycross and Jennings, Florida,” she said. “Our phones are ringing with people wanting to bring and show off their cars. Facebook postings have been shared near and far. It is going to be a large variety of autos on display.”

Not only is the event “all about” cars, organizers said, but it’s also about sharing the love of cars with younger generations.

“Can you imagine a story a great-grandparent can tell about a car,” Maddox asks. “This show can bridge generation gaps and be history in the making.”

There is no fee to enter a vehicle and participants will be accepted until event start time.

“It all comes down to you having a great car and wanting to show it off,” Sandi Turner, an event coordinator and club secretary/treasurer, said. “Car shows put a large group of people with a common interest together for a day. They swap stories, compare notes and make friendships that last.”

Dennis Cox plans to enter his 1966 Chevelle Super Sport, a two-door hard top sports car he built with his friend Randy Stewart. It took approximately a year to complete.

“We graduated from high school in 1965 and tried to get one as close to that year as possible,” Cox said. “It’s tedious work and takes a lot of dedication and patience.”

Stewart’s brother-in-law had a black Chevelle and their car has his name, Henry, on the license plate in honor of the late man with whom Stewart had a close bond.

Travis Davis intends to enter his 1972 Dodge Challenger, a “panther pink” Mopar he bought in 1995 and restored. The car has even been featured in “Mopar Muscle Magazine.”

“I always wanted a Challenger and I’ve always liked Mopars,” Davis said. “They are fast cars and not as many of them were made as Camaros and Mustangs.”

Food vendors will be on site to fill the tanks of hungry participants. Items expected to be available include seafood, barbecue, fried chicken, hamburgers, hot dogs, funnel cakes, and a made from scratch breakfast of biscuits and gravy.

There also will be live entertainment, crafts, and activities to keep the kids entertained, should they tire of looking at all the chrome.

Car show shirts will be available for $10 each, and tickets for drawings to win a variety of items will be on sale throughout the event. Tickets cost $1 each or six for $5. Participants who enter vehicles may receive a roll of tickets the length of their vehicle for $20.

Prize drawings for items donated by area vendors will be conducted every 30 minutes. These include a wicker basket, a car kit, a knives set, and gift certificates to a variety of restaurants and businesses. The “grand finale,” organizers said, is a 50/50 drawing at 2:45 p.m., where the winner will receive 50 percent of all cash collected from ticket sales. Ticketholders must be present to win.

Awards will be presented to entries for “Best of Show” and the top five selected by a panel of certified judges. A special People’s Choice award will be voted upon by the public.

Monies raised from the event will go into the club’s general account, which funds a variety of neighborhood activities such as dinners for senior citizens, benefits for local families in need (in conjunction with the American Legion Post #265), a Christmas festival, family fun days, and upkeep of the community civic center.

“We want the civic club to be able to host more events and activities for our local community,” Ausburn said. “These funds will certainly help with that.”

Turner said it is important for the club to make activities available and affordable to its community.

“After all, it is the people of this tiny community that make it a great place to live, work and retire,” she said.

Ochlocknee is now part of the 62-mile Old Dixie Highway scenic route, which stretches from Albany to Thomasville. Organizers said events like the car show both draw attention and bring business to Ochlocknee, which helps the local economy.

Organizers and entrants hope the public will come out to see the cars and support the local community.

“I think it’s great,” Davis said of the event. “It’s a fun way to see great cars and enjoy the fellowship.”

For more information or to register, call (229) 589-1427, (229) 226-1749, (229) 379-4675, or (229) 977-8347.