The 2023 Highlands Motoring Festival was the most successful in festival history by every measure, including financial support to local human needs charities.
To commemorate this accomplishment, HMF presented the funds to the three human needs charities. Representatives for The Literacy and Learning Center of Highlands, REACH of Macon County, and the Community Care Clinic of Highlands and Cashiers, along with HMF volunteers and Town officials were on hand for the official check presentation.
The festival’s net proceeds of $105,000 have been distributed equally between the three charity organizations. Highlands Motoring Festival is a 501.c3 non-profit and is an all-volunteer team of classic car enthusiasts.
The sixteenth annual Highlands Motoring Festival was held on June 8-11, 2023. Amazing collector cars could be seen on town streets during the four-day festival which consisted of two days of driving tours, two evening gatherings, a Main Street parade, and two car shows.
The centerpiece of the motoring festival was Saturday’s “Classics in the Park” juried car show that attracted an attendance estimated to be upwards of three thousand people, to view eighty-five classic cars. The motoring festival has grown significantly in stature over the years, not by increasing the number of show cars, which is limited by the capacity of Kelsey Hutchinson Park, but by raising the level of quality of the cars by going to an invitational entry process.
Over fifty volunteers joined the fifteen-member planning committee to stage the events. The Highlands Motoring Festival Committee would like to thank the entire Highlands community, including citizens, volunteers, businesses, organizations, and Town officials and staff, without whom none of this would have been possible.
The seventeenth annual Highlands Motoring Festival will be on June 6-9, 2024. Along other classic cars, the featured theme for 2024 will be pre-WWII classics including brass era, American and European cars. Registration is open at: www.HighlandsMotoringFestival.com.
Pictured at the top of the article from left are Lester Norris, Steve Ham, Bonnie Potts, David Moore, Faviola Olvera, Cindy Trevathan, Chief Andrea Holland, Mayor Pat Taylor, Ricky Siegel, and Steve Mehder. Photo by Knight Martorell
2024 HMF SCHEDULE OF EVENTS:
Thursday June 6
“One Lap of the Mountains- Grande”- Driving Tour 8:30am-4:00pm
Friday June 7
“One Lap of the Mountains- Speciale” Driving Tour 9:30am to 4pm
Main Street Parade of Classic Cars 5:30pm to 6:30pm
Saturday June 8
“Classics in the Park” Invitational Judged Car Show in the Kelsey-Hutchinson Park 9:30am to 4pm
“Celebration Gala” 6pm to 9pm
Sunday June 9
“High Octane” Social and Car Gathering in Kelsey-Hutchinson Park. 8:30am to 11am.