Jefferson City is poised to be invaded by a band of muscle car enthusiasts for the city's first Shelbyfest.
The 9th annual Shelbyfest is scheduled to start on April 30 and end on May 2, according to the event's website. This year the event will be moved from its original location in Hermann to Jefferson City.
"We are very excited about the opportunity to host Shelbyfest," said Chris Wilson, of the Jefferson City Convention and Visitors Bureau. "The way it has grown over the years from just a few Shelbys to where it is now. ... We feel very fortunate. We want to provide opportunity to grow this event even more. We are looking forward to Shelbyfest's first year here at the Capital City."
The event got its start after six Shelby owners met in 2006 in St. Louis to get to know each other and show off their cars. The next year the first official Shelbyfest started in Hermann with 26 cars with owners from five different states, according to the event's web page shelbyfest.net.
Now, Shelby drivers from 28 different states and Canada attend the celebration.
"I am completely amazed at the way the event has grown," Caraway said. "It has become one of the premiere Mustang events in the U.S. We have drawn people from all over ... and so far I am blown away at the assistance the city he has given us."
This year's festival will start with registration at Capitol Plaza Hotel and a golf outing at the Railwood Golf Course on Thursday.
Then on Friday Gateway Classic Mustang will host an autocross driver training session. The group will bring its seasoned drivers to coach some of the Shelby owners how to better handle their muscular machines for free.
"It is a precision driving exercise," Caraway said. "Autocross is about learning how to handle quick changes in the car. ... We are rarely going go above speeds of 35 mph and it is not really a go-fast experience. It is about teaching these guys with high horsepower cars how to responsibly handle their vehicles in different conditions."
Though this is not Gateway's first autocross, it is the first autocross at Shelbyfest, Caraway said. Drivers will have to attend a safety brief before the exercise and can choose to pilot their own vehicles or ride with an instructor in a provided vehicle. There are only 75 spots available, potential participants should email [email protected] to register.
During Shelbyfest, the Ford Motor Co. will be showing off the 2016 Shelby Mustang. This will be the second time the 2016 Shelby has made an appearance in the United States, Caraway said.
Also that day, the group will have the Country Cruise and the Muscle Car Heritage Cruise for Charity. The founder's of the festival are working with the Outlaw Car club to raise money for the American Cancer Society with the heritage cruise.
Donations of at least $10 would be appreciated, Caraway said, and will be collected at the Kmart and Hasting parking lots in Jefferson City.
"Ride up on a motorcycle or a minivan, it is for anybody who wants to donate," Caraway said about the heritage cruise.
The first 400 people to donate will receive a full color vinyl window cling.
The main event for the festival, the car show, is Saturday from 8 a.m. until about 3:30 p.m downtown. It will be along High Street and partially in Madison and Monroe, Caraway said. This portion of the event will have vendors from across the country set up shop, and it is free to spectators.
Also at noon group will continue the tradition of the Moment of Horsepower to honor those who lost their lives in service. The festival will close at 9:30 p.m. at Spectators Bar with the "Saturday Throw Down."