KC Automotive Museum to hold its first Poker Run
The weeks of driving to car cruises and shows without the threat of snow and ice are dwindling down to single digits. The Kansas City Automotive Museum recognizes that and has put together a fun event for car enthusiasts to enjoy their vehicles.
The first-ever Cruiseum Poker Run will take place Aug. 29 at the museum, 15095 W. 116th St., in Olathe. The poker run will go from 3 to 5 p.m., Saturday and the after party is from 5 to 8 p.m. at the museum.
“It is getting toward the end of driving season,” said Luke Spence, curator at the Kansas City Automobile Museum. “Everybody wants to get out and drive their cars, so we figured we could do this and people can drive their cars and do a little benefit for the museum as well.
“It will allow them to stretch out the car legs before we get too deep into winter. If the rain is any indication, we will have lots of snow this year.”
Registration is $35 and includes two raffle tickets, two future tickets to the museum, two passes to the after party and a T-shirt for pre-registration at www.kansascityautomuseum.com. You can also register on the day of the event at the museum from 2 to 2:30 p.m.
The poker run is an enjoyable way to tour Johnson County while visiting a few businesses.
“Basically we have five rally points that are close to the museum, no more than 20 minutes from the museum,” Spence said. “You will leave at the museum, go to the five different rally points, pick a card out of a deck, mark it on the score sheet and then head to the next location.”
The five locations are all car-friendly, Spence said. The locations are the museum, Goodyear at K-10 and Woodland, the Carriage House of Johnson County in De Soto, Shawnee Mission Park and KC Auto Gifts and Accessories at 12010 W. 87th St., Lenexa. “You cruise up to them and check out what they have,” Spence said. “If you want to stop, you can.”
This poker run, Spence said is not about how fast you get from one location to the next and then back to museum.
“We are really emphasizing it to be safe, responsible and fun,” Spence said. “There will be no rewards for speed. We don’t want anybody to wreck their car or get speeding tickets. It allows people to bring their cars out in a safe atmosphere to enjoy driving their cars and checking out Johnson County.”
The museum hopes to expand the poker run next year to include all of Kansas City and make it a daylong event, visiting such places as Union Station and the National World War I Museum and Memorial.
“For the first one, we want to keep it close and gauge what it will entail,” Spence said. “This is new to us, too. It is something we decided would be a good idea to give back to the car community and hopefully gain support for the museum as well.”
The Kansas City Automobile Museum is only 14 months old. Its dream remains to raise enough money to eventually build a larger museum.
Each month, Spence said, more people are learning about the museum and visiting. The museum plays host to monthly events like Cars and Coffee the last Saturday of each month and Caffeine and Gasoline the second Saturday of the month.
On average, the museum rotates in two to three different classic cars each month to exhibit.
“We are seeing constant support from people coming through,” Spence said. “In July, 1,200 people came through, over double from last year.
“Obviously, the more word we get out, the better it is getting. We are getting a lot of support and enthusiasm.”
Spence hopes for a wide-range of vehicles for the poker run.
“Any make, model,” he said. “We have a new Alfa Romeo 4C registered. It is open to anyone who loves their car and wants to drive it. If you want to bring your motorcycle out, you can do that, too.”
Do you have a car cruise or a car show you would like to see featured in At The Show? If you do, email your idea to David Boyce at Drive@kcstar.com
This story was originally published August 21, 2015 at 8:22 PM with the headline "KC Automotive Museum to hold its first Poker Run."