I heard the Symco Shakedown is moving to a new location for 2016. I haven't heard where it will be. Maybe it's just me but I think the present site is one of the things that makes the show so great. I really would hate to see it move. Any thoughts?
The move to a new location is listed on the website, last time I checked it. No mention of where it will be, although I've heard a rumor. No, I'm not repeating it here, I'll leave that for them to reveal. I too love the Unionville location. When it was raining, I was pretty content to sit in the saloon & talk with the great people that attend this show. I'm sure that it will remain a great show, but I'm sure it will lose some of it's charm. The small town feel is hard to beat, or replicate somewhere else. I'll still attend. I just hope they have a saloon!
My thoughts exactly, I've been to every Shakedown and spent many hours in the saloon. Those tractor seats are quite comfortable and the local volunteers are really friendly.
I just got an email newsletter from them saying it will be moved to the EAA airfield in Oshkosh. I have yet to make it to the show, but this might be the year! According to the email there is a museum there that has real WWII aircraft nose art, very cool.
the shake down was a great show. too bad things got screwed up. the unionville site is the best. comparing it to a airport isn't worth getting into. there is a show at the original location on the same day. i know where i will be.
Have not read anything lately, but Kelly's hot rod parts posted/ he heard, that there will be a show held a original location. Kool grounds, for sure. Kelly ?
Got reservations for the new location & will be keeping an open mind when we attend this year. It really sucks that there is some kind of problem that has caused the split & made the two compete against each other. Two shows, on two different dates, would make the attendees happier. Not to mention the car count would be higher at each show that way. Everyone would be a winner.
Boy, that's a toss up. Last year was the first time at Symco in Unionville. Absolutely loved it besides all the mud. If the weather is really nice, I will end up at the old location. Otherwise, Oshkosh if its rainy.
The Oshkosh show is going to have the cars, bands, and people that made the shakedown what you loved. Think about it this way, if the Meltdown drags moved their show from Byron to another track, you are telling me you would keep going to Byron the same weekend because you liked it last year? That makes no sense to me at all.
part of what made the shakedown a success was Unionville. take that away and the new show is no different than a goodguys show. a big field full of cars. just change the banner on the front gate.
Here is some background on what the unionville people tried to pull. I will be at the Pioneer Airport and probably never set foot in Symco again. Authentic Symco Shakedown Page - We Are Moving Venues For 2016 March 2 · Just so everyone is aware, the Symco Shakedown event in Oshkosh is NOT cancelled. John Spence, who is the "promoter" of the show being held at our old venue, hacked our page again and deleted it along with our posts and the 2016 event page. We had to recreate the page and lost all the old info. This is a former "friend" of ours who has been misleading people to think he has rights to what we own. If anyone is contacted by John Spence, Ashley Dishno, Paul Meyer, or anyone other than myself or this page, they are NOT affiliates of Symco Shakedown, they do NOT represent Symco Shakedown and they do NOT have any rights to use our brandname. Symco as an automotive event and Symco Shakedown is an entity owned by Symco Shakedown Promotions LLC. These people do not own use of the name as it pertains to a car show nor have they purchased any rights to do so. The name Symco may be used to describe the city it's in but Symco as it pertains to a car show is owned by us, it's our brand name. If anyone cares to discuss details, send me a message with your number and I'll be glad to call. If you have committed to their event, know that it is NOT the event you have done in the past. It has come to my understanding they have been telling people they are from the Symco Shakedown and that it is the same show that it has always been. The only thing the same is the location. Symco Shakedown will be moving venues for 2016. The date will still be the second full weekend in August like we've had it for the last 7 years, August 11-13. We have some new and exciting changes planned!! The show will remain basically the same but in a new more professional venue at the Pioneer Vintage Airport on the EAA grounds in Oshkosh WI. This new venue will meet everyone's expectations for the "vintage feel" as Unionville had and we feel you'll be pleasantly surprised to see that we now have a much larger venue to utilize. This venue has lots of shade and even a park like setting. Not to mention the availability of running water and flushing toilets in the campground. This is a very positive move for our event as you will see. We are sad to leave the wonderful village of Unionville, we have made many friends and memories there, unfortunately, we are unable to continue producing a successful show there. John Spence, find your own venue, create your own show and do the work it takes to make it your own. I have. It is thousands of hours and tens of thousands of dollars to do. Taking what myself, my family and my friends have built and calling it your own is passionless, disgusting, lazy, cowardly and just downright bullshit. The core people who have made Symco Shakedown what it is, will be at our new venue. Our music will be to the same high caliber, run by the same people. Our swap meet will grow as well as our commercial vending spaces. This venue change means more room to expand. Unionville has had its share of limitations and that is one reason of the list of many reasons for the move. Please use this Facebook page and www.symcoshakedown.com for everything official in regards to the show that Shakedown Promotions puts on. This is the one and only Symco Shakedown. Thank you all for your continued support. Cliffy.
I'm sure the Meltdown wouldn't be the same if it were held at Route 66 raceway. That would be too like what racer-x said ,"Goodguys". Byron raceway made that event successful. Same with Unionville has done for Symco. Location. That said, all we can do is keep that traditional spirit alive in Oshkosh. I'm not going to piss on a show because it moved, it does have some merit... Vintage airplanes.
Goodguys, no way! Those that know me, know that is not what I ever want. The only "field of cars" is where we are parking vehicles 64 and newer and stuff that doesn't meet criteria. We have a world class facility, that is VERY relaxing and has a ton of stuff to see and do. On top of shade, ponds, super nice grass and better vendor buildings....we have the Pioneer Airport Museum. It is exactly what we had in Unionville, just hangers instead of pig barns and chicken coupes turned into school houses. There are two model T's, a Model A and a Cord along with 50 1950 and older planes inside on display. We have two 1920's planes flying and giving rides on top of a Bell 47 helicopter. The entire area will be surrounded by hot rods and customs. The setting is flat, shaded and professional....much different than a state fairgrounds. We are not using any of the EAA show grounds, but all their green space and campground setting, plus the Pioneer Airport. On top of our clean and nice show areas, we have the EAA Museum, full of vintage planes...and to top it off, a WWII nose art exhibit...3-4+ hours of air conditioned history for only $6. There is a lot more than just planes in this museum. Then go down the road a half mile to the Veterans museum and check out the Russian tank, that runs and is still functional, on top of a pile of vintage military equipment and displays. Then add the entire city of Oshkosh, with a drive-in that has been operating for 68 years, the downtown area, which hosted the Johnny Depp movie about Dillinger....and much much more. We nailed it on this move! Then note that we have setup starting on Wednesday, Aug 10 at 8am...a full day extra for everyone. That night, we have a free 1959 hot rod movie in a theater built in 1911, then Cash O-Riley playing at a local bar for FREE. If you happen to come to town on Tuesday, Johnny Rockets, straight across the highway from the show has a FREE cruise night. Driver of any classic gets a FREE meal and a T shirt...passengers get 15% off! The rest of our weekend has the same layout and schedule as our old location. Thursday kickoff, Fri/Sat show. Same everything, including the price. We have 6,000 sq ft of indoor, nice vending. That is 6,000 sq ft more than unionville. This is FULL of all our old vendors, plus we have a LOT of new vendors. The clean setting has been drawing people that never would have came to our old dusty facility. Vicky's Lunch Wagon has moved with us and is serving a much better menu now that she is not held back by what the Unionville group wouldn't allow her to sell. She will serve a full breakfast each morning and stay open late as always. We have A&W serving all their old time classics. You can get a real meal from the Machine Shed, who is set up on site...plus more top notch food vendors. We have stepped it up a bunch this year. We don't want you to leave, but there are also dozens of food options within seconds of the facility as well. Two real drive-ins in town! The people make the show what it is, the venue is not the main reason that this show has been successful. Lucky for us, we found the venue that fits us much better that Unionville. Larger swap spaces for the same price, an extra day, more room for everything....plus room to grow as large as the Iola car show. Seven years of hard work has gone into our show and I would never move to a boring facility. The unionville owners ultimately messed this one up. The lack of property liability insurance killed a successful event there...and it is far too dangerous of a facility to continue on without providing full protection to our attendees. They are playing Russian roulette still holding their events and this new car show there. We tried to get them insured, even offered to pay for it. Sad they think a couple thousand dollars is worth more than protection against damage and personal injury. What is left there is designed to fool everyone that it is the same show. They use all photos from my event...even copied and pasted my website to theirs. They spew same same same...but from behind the scenes...there isn't anything the same. It is a first year show, put on by people who do not have any idea what went into planning the last seven years. The couple people that we left behind there are not missed. They think attacking our event is the best way to promote their event. People would be appalled by the nastiness we have had from them and the group staying there. We are excited about our move and are too busy and optimistic to look back. We are glad we moved, our new location is everything we were missing in Unionville.
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