DOWAGIAC — Auto enthusiasts will prepare to rev their engines this Saturday as the 29th annual Dowagiac Rod and Roll Classic Auto Show, hosted by the Greater Dowagiac Chamber of Commerce, rolls back through downtown.

On-site registration for the event will begin at 7 a.m., followed by a breakfast served by Baker’s Rhapsody to kick-off a day filled with all things auto.

A new aspect of the event this year is the placement of lawn games, bocce ball, corn hole and giant Jenga at Beckwith Park to keep visitors occupied while the tallying of votes for the various categories are computed, said Kris Soenen, the chair of the Rod and Roll Classic Auto Show and owner of Who Knew Consignment. 

The car show typically checks in about 200 cars every year, with people from all over the area, Soenen said. 

“We draw from all over,” she said. “The bulk are from Dowagiac. We have a pretty high percentage from southwest Michigan, Berrien County and then about 20 percent from northern Indiana.”

Soenen added many people from Illinois who own second homes in the area will also bring their cars out.

Soenen took over as chair of the Auto Show nine years ago, after longtime chairman and founders of the event, Ed and Sue Kazlauskas and Curt and Debra Rohdy, decided to step down.

Soenen shadowed them for a year and then took over, spending the upcoming year gathering more volunteers and taking over the reins of the event, which Soenen said was already well established.

Although Soenen will not be showing off any cars of her own, she said the event draws in all makes and models of cars.

“I can very much appreciate the time and investment these people make in their cars,” Soenen said.

During the afternoon portion of the event, some downtown businesses will be supplying indoor games for event attendees. Other businesses will have promotional sales. Restaurants and services will be open during the day, Soenen said. 

The Rod and Roll Classic Auto Show, like many of the chamber of commerce events, is a big draw, Soenen said.

“It brings a lot of new day visitors into town as well as it is a fun event for our local people,” she said. “Any event for the city is a great draw in order to introduce people to the city, and we hope they come back year after year.”

Through the years, Soenen has seen the generational impact the event has had on families and visitors to Dowagiac.

“There have been people that have been coming for all 29 years,” Soenen said. “Now, they are bringing their children. Second generation and third generation children in some cases have cars in the show.”

Soenen said events like the auto show keep the downtown vibrant and offer cultural and social events for residents and visitors, which contributes to the economic growth of the town.

The Trophy Ride will take place at 2 p.m. to award trophies to the top 20 autos of the day.