Taking it to the Streets during Import & Kit Nationals

May 15, 2012 - PRLog -- There are many aspects to making the Carlisle Import & Kit Nationals a successful weekend.  The event, which has taken place since 1986, is a true international automotive festival with its backbone a combination of passionate enthusiasts, vendors and over 1,500 cars representing more than a half dozen countries and nearly three dozen manufacturers.  Moreover, the success of the event is due in part to the community.  Because of those factors and many more, the 2012 event, May 18-20 at the Carlisle PA Fairgrounds, will hold its first-ever downtown Carlisle Block Party on Friday, May 18.

Beginning at 5 p.m., Carlisle businesses will play host to both local residents and in-town visitors as part of the block party.  Restaurants will offer a variety of fare and in some cases, host live music, while stores extend their hours for late afternoon and early evening shopping.  This is not a parade and no streets will be blocked; however, meters will be bagged to provide special reserved parking on North Hanover Street from North Street to the square.  In doing so, registered import and kit vehicles will have an organized place to display their cars downtown, allowing show goers and locals alike to mingle, snap photos and enjoy the night.

"It is extremely important for us to work together with Carlisle Events," said Ashleigh Corby, General Manager of Market Cross Pub & Brewery in Carlisle.  "We take pride in our relationship with them and find it very helpful to bring more business to downtown Carlisle as well as create new ideas and plans that will grow both entities," added Corby.  "Carlisle Events is an important part of our community and it is very important to work with fellow community organizations and businesses as a whole.  Carlisle Events has been so welcoming to incorporate the downtown merchants of Carlisle into all that they do each year and the downtown block party is just another example of that."

In addition to shopping, dining and live music, the Carlisle Theater will host a screening of "Truth in 24 II," a documentary film that details Audi's road to the 24 Hours of LeMans race.  The screening commences at 7 p.m. and a donation of $5 is requested for admittance.  All donations go directly to Safe Harbour, an organization designed to "serve the homeless or potentially homeless."  Following the screening, there will be a special guest question and answer session with Brad Kettler from Audi Sport Engineering, Scott Keogh, Chief Marketing Officer for Audi USA and Mark Fruechtnicht from Audi Product Planning.  

"As one of our longest-running specialty shows, it’s great that the Import & Kit Nationals is finally going to celebrate the show in downtown Carlisle on Friday evening with the first-ever Block Party," noted event manager Ed Buczeskie.  The highlight of the evening will be the Central PA premiere of ‘Truth in 24 II,’ Audi’s second documentary on the manufacturer’s Le Mans effort.  I look forward to seeing many of our weekend guests downtown on Friday night."  

A truly unique and engaging auto festival, the Carlisle Import & Kit Nationals welcomes an eclectic mix of over 1,500 vehicles from vintage to modern imports to many varieties of kit cars.  Enthusiasts can take a tour of the automotive world in Carlisle.  Organized by country of origin, the showfield will please children and adults alike as they get their passport stamped and indulge in international flavors.  Restoring your own piece of history?  Shop a wide variety of vendors in our Manufacturers Midway, swap meet, and car corral for the best in parts, accessories, and automotive buying.  The Carlisle Import & Kit Nationals – a weekend full of international fun for the entire family.