Pound Ridge PBA Car Show Breaks Attendance Record

POUND RIDGE, N.Y. — “How do we top this?” asked Billy Fortin as he gestured toward the seemingly endless rows of classic automobiles glistening in the sun Saturday afternoon at Town Park. “This is our biggest show ever.”

Fortin, a member of the Pound Ridge Police Benevolent Association’s 10th Annual Car Show Committee, said this year’s event set a record.

“We’re going to have more than 300 cars here today,” he said.

The previous record was 270 entrants, set in 2010. The show started 10 years ago with just 30 cars.

More than 160 trophies – each sponsored by a local business or resident – would be handled out in 40 categories, including Corvettes, muscle cars, foreign classics, fire apparatus, Mustangs and motorcycles.

“It’s not a hardcore car show,” Fortin said. “We get the community and businesses involved and everybody has a good time.”

Each year, the PBA donates proceeds from the show to local charities, institutions and organizations. This year, the money will be donated to the Pound Ridge Lions Club, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary, and to Northern Westchester Hospital.

Anthony Brianti of Patterson, N.Y., was at the Pound Ridge show for the first time with his 1957 Ford Thunderbird.

“It’s been in the family for 18 years” he said proudly. “We did the restoration with a family friend who specializes in Thunderbirds.”

Brianti said the car recently won in the “best original” category at a car show in Bethel, Conn.

“We also have two other T-Birds and a ’57 Ford Fairlane” he said. “We like this show a lot and we plan to come back next year with our ’56 T-Bird. I’ve owned that since I got married and I used it to drive my wife to the hospital for the birth of our first child.”

Vinnie Calderella, a retired Pound Ridge Post Office worker, and his wife, Angela, drove up from the Bronx to show off their ’63 Ford Falcon.

“We’ve only missed one out of the 10 shows they’ve had,” Calderella said. “We’ve had [the Falcon] for 13 years and it pretty much came this way. I just did a few mechanical things.”

Cadlerella said he doesn’t come to the show hoping to win a trophy.

“We just like to support the cause,” he said. “If it’s going to help someone, we’re all for it. Plus, I like to check out the other cars. I’ve been a car nut since I was 20 when I got my first car — a 1947 Pontiac Torpedo.”

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