For nearly five decades, one thing car enthusiasts and curious visitors alike could count on Sunday morning of Labor Day Weekend was the chrome and camaraderie among restored and custom vehicles at the Festival on Wheels car show across from the Nauvoo State Park along State Highway 96. How it all began This all started in 1978, when young John McCarty, then a junior at Nauvoo-Colusa High School, was approached with a challenge: could he organize a car show as another activity to the Grape Festival (which itself began in 1938). Young John accepted the challenge, never imagining that it would grow to what it is today.
He also never thought he would still be the chairman of the event 46 years later! That first year there were 23 entries. Today the Festival on Wheels boasts a gathering of around 500 cars from all over the Midwest. A nostalgic love of cars Every year, spectators are treated to a dazzling array of vehicles, each with its own story and a shot at coveted awards.
The festival grew in popularity. In 2002, a record 620 cars filled over two lots and catapulted the annual event to one of the Midwest’s premier cars shows. Over the years, many new attractions have been added, making this event a Labor Day weekend extravaganza.
The Friday Night Cruise in Warsaw and the Saturday AutoFest in Hamilton combined with the Nauvoo car show to become the celebration known as Labor Day Weekend Annual Rolling Up the River. Rev your engines! The super-charged weekend will kick off on.