Classic Cars, Loud Engines, and Big Smiles: Memories Come Alive at LIFE Beaver County’s Car Show

Sunlight on old cars does something photographs can never quite capture. For two days at LIFE Beaver County, the parking lot shimmered with reflections from another era. Cars lined up like old friends, each holding a story, each carrying memories.

This was the fourth Chrome, Classics, and Community Car Show at LIFE Beaver County, and if you looked closely, this was about much more than some classic cars. You saw participants remembering a time from not so long ago.

Drivers arrived with pride, parking their cars in rows that gleamed under the sun. Participants and staff strolled between them, pointing, reminiscing, and talking with drivers while sharing stories. Some recognized cars they once owned, others recalled the way they looked cruising down neighborhood streets in their youth. Even for those who could not step outside, the large glass windows of the LIFE Center provided a perfect view. No one was left out.

A 1936 Packard with elegant lines. A 1951 Chevrolet Deluxe Coupe. A Corvette Stingray L82 from 1974, as sleek as the day it first rolled off the line. There was even a hearse, darkly theatrical and perfectly suited to the season.

One participant, Delores Slappy, found herself drawn to the 1965 Mustang. Her smile said everything. Cars have that ability to open a door in memory, taking you back to the years when the world felt wide and the road ahead even wider.

“Coming to this brings back a whole lot of memories for the participants,” said Janice Larue, Recreation Assistant at LIFE Beaver County.

The car parade that followed was the highlight of the day. Cars lined up one by one as participants sat in chairs along the sidewalk, waving checkered flags, their faces lighting up with each rev of the engine. Sheila Toomey, Recreation Therapy Manager for LIFE Beaver, called on participants to guess each model as it approached, turning the spectacle into a game. Owners leaned out their windows, sharing bits of history as engines rumbled low.

One of those cars belonged to Felix Kanapesky, who has never missed a car show. His pride is a 1987 Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS Aero Coupe, a limited-edition built for NASCAR. Its sloped rear window and aerodynamic body helped Dale Earnhardt dominate racing in the mid-80s, and today it remains one of the sport’s most coveted classics.

“This is why we do this, so that other people can enjoy the cars,” Felix said. “We love the cars personally, but we also love the fact that other people love and appreciate the work and love we put into these cars.”

And then came the finale. The last vehicle in the parade was not a classic, not exotic, but perhaps the most familiar of all. It was the LIFE Beaver County van, driven by Beth with another LIFE Beaver driver, Scott, riding shotgun. Around here, it is known as the “Chicken Bus,” thanks to a rubber chicken that squeaks when one of the drivers gives it a squeeze. When it rolled past, the cheers were the loudest of the afternoon. For many participants, this was the car that mattered most. It was the one they knew, the one that carried them safely to the center and back home again.

That is the quiet genius of this car show. It reminds everyone that whether it is a Packard from the 30s or a van with a rubber chicken on the dash, a car is never just a car. It is a vessel for memories, for freedom, and for happiness.

“This car show is about joy,” said Toomey. “It is about giving our participants a chance to feel the excitement of the cars and the community that comes with them. You can see on their faces what it means to them, and that is everything.”