More than 300 visitors and 140 vintage cars have descended on Owensboro this week as part of the 79th AAA Glidden Tour, bringing a piece of automotive history to town. The public has a chance to see them on display during a tour stop this Friday.
The annual event, which dates back to 1905, celebrates classic cars built in 1941 and earlier. This year’s tour has drawn participants from across the country, with stops throughout western Kentucky and southern Indiana.
“This is the 79th revival of the AAA Glidden Tour,” said organizer Jeff Stumb. “We’ve got over 300 people here and 144 cars registered — all 1941 and older. Most of the cars are from the teens and the 1920s.”
Owensboro has hosted several of the group’s major events this week, including an opening banquet at Green River Distilling Co. and a “freshman banquet” at the RiverPark Center. A closing banquet is scheduled Friday at the Owensboro Convention Center.
During the day, participants take scenic drives and visit local attractions. Stops so far have included Audubon Museum in Henderson, the Evansville Wartime Museum, the Lincoln Pioneer Village, and the Santa Claus Museum. Later this week, the group will head to Squire Boone Caverns in Indiana and the Bill Monroe Museum in Rosine.
On Friday morning, the public will have a chance to see the cars up close when the tour makes a stop at Dream Riders of Kentucky, located next to the Daviess County Fairgrounds. Cars are expected to be on display from 9-10:30 a.m.
“That’ll be a great place for people to see 130-plus cars,” Stumb said. “When you come to Kentucky, you’ve got to see some horses, bourbon, barbecue, and bluegrass, and that’s what we’re trying to showcase.”
Stumb said Owensboro has been an ideal host city, noting that most attendees had never visited before.
“At our opening banquet, I asked the 320 people in the room to raise their hand if they’d never been to Owensboro,” Stumb said. “At least 90% of the hands went up. People are here from California, New York, Florida, Wisconsin, all over. The hotels have been fantastic, the weather’s been perfect, and the roads are great.”
The Glidden Tour is held in a different location each year. Last year’s event was in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, and next year’s will be in Delaware.
