A daughter’s tribute to her father highlights Antique Fest car show
The Darb Snyder Memorial Antique & Classic Car Show brought in nearly five dozen beautiful classic vehicles that were showcased on a bright, sunny day on Saturday, Oct. 5.
The Darb Snyder Memorial Antique & Classic Car Show continued its tradition of serving as a centerpiece of the annual Holmes County Antique Festival, which added one more memorable year to the longstanding tradition of this Holmes County staple.
The car show took place Saturday, Oct. 5, and this one had special meaning written all over it.
Car show organizer Emily (Day) La Torre took over the leadership role this year, and there is a good reason for her having plenty of passion for the car show.
Her father Todd Day passed away this past year, and for many years, he was a driving force behind the ongoing success of the show, having taken the reins from another longtime chairman, Darb Snyder, for whom the show was lovingly called after his passing decades ago.
For La Torre, the chance to carry on the challenges of chairing the car show her dad so passionately presented was an honor she enjoyed.
“This was super-special,” La Torre said. “When we were trying to figure out who would take over, I said, ‘You know what? I think I can take over and do that.’ It just seemed like a perfect way to continue the tradition he was such a big part of and carry on something he loved so passionately and continue his legacy.”
Day helped build the car show into one of the most special events that accompanied the Antique Festival, a mainstay in the schedule of activities that has highlighted this autumn weekend event for more than six decades.
His daughter said she understood there would be plenty of work and challenges that accompanied taking over, but she was more than ready to take on the challenge.
“Dad had his own unique way of doing things, so I was trying to decipher that way of doing this, but it has been an incredible joy to take it over in his honor,” La Torre said.
A grand total of 57 antique and classic cars rolled into the parking lot behind the Holmes County Chamber of Commerce in HDM, thankful for the perfect weather that allowed them to shine up their pet projects and favorite collectibles without the fear of rain dampening the event.
“It was the perfect day,” La Torre said.
She said one of the things that made her effort easier was the way people pitched in to help.
The members of Holmes County Classic Cruisers helped set up, usher cars into the lot to find their spots to park their gems and clean up once the show was complete.
She also said classic car collectors in general are an amazingly friendly, outgoing group who are kind, courteous and respectful.
“It’s just a great group of people,” La Torre said. “You can’t go wrong when you’re dealing with great people.”
The show featured plenty of awards including the granddaddy of them all, the Best of Show.
However, this year featured not one but two Best of Show autos, one in honor of Snyder and the other in honor of Day.
“We thought it would be fitting to honor both of them, and I’ve always said that we have some of the neatest trophies anywhere,” La Torre said.
The one featuring her father’s name was an old-time gas pump trophy.
In addition, a set of judges had the difficult task of awarding top prizes to categories like Best Hot Rod, Best Truck, Best Antique, Best Classic, Best of each decade from the 1950s to 1980s and many others.
But for most of those in attendance, it was just about capturing a trophy and fellowshipping with others who share the same joy and passion for collecting, restoring and showcasing old cars.
John Mason of Killbuck brought his 1974 Corvette to the car show, where the perfect weather enticed plenty of participation for both collectors and visitors.
“I think we all share the same passion for cars; we’re all gearheads,” Mason said. “We love getting together and talking about cars, and we enjoy getting them ready to show and sitting around talking about them.”
Mason is a member of the local car club Classic Cruisers, which provided plenty of its members to set up for the show and usher in contestants into what turned out to be a very full parking lot.
La Torre said the show couldn’t have gone any better, from the weather to the incredible cars and honoring her father.
“Dad would have loved the gas pump trophy, but he probably would have hated that we were giving an award in his honor,” La Torre said. “He was satisfied just staying behind the scenes to create an awesome show. He was a very humble man who enjoyed making other people happy.”
His daughter proved she could follow in her father’s footsteps in that manner.