EVANSVILLE, Ind. (WFIE) - The 48th annual frog follies has started.
E’Ville Iron Street Rods, Ltd. has hosted frog follies since 1975, starting with just a handful of people.
Former president of the club, Pete Swaim, said in 1974, “just a few guys got together and brought their cars out here for a weekend and did some cooking, some camping and it just grew from there, it’s amazing.”
Now, thousands of people come from all over the country to show off their cars.
Frog Follies is unique because it’s the largest independent Pre-’49 street rod show in the nation, meaning every one of the thousands of cars here this weekend was manufactured before 1949.
Bob Durr, is from Louisiana and travels 715 miles every year for Frog Follies. He said, “I like seeing all the cars and there’s not many pre-49 shows still in america and this is probably the biggest and the best so that’s why we come”
Many people have attended frog follies for decades, and even in the heat it brings the community together.
Former club President, Swaim, said, “It feels like I’ve been a club member longer than I really have and I started in 2000.”
At the end of Frog Follies weekend, E’Ville Iron donates thousands of dollars to nonprofits around the tri-state, including Easterseals Rehabilitation, It Takes a Village No-Kill Rescue and the YMCA.
The weekend is a true testament to the love of cars this community has.
Keith and George Casey are a father son duo from St. Louis that has been coming to Frog Follies for the past 28 years.
Keith said they keep coming back because they like seeing the same people every year, hanging out, seeing the cars and getting to spend time with his dad.
The event started at 8am on Friday and runs until noon on Sunday.
Spectator tickets can be bought at the gates of the Vanderburgh 4-H center. It’s $7 per person, and children under 12 get in for free.
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