Making Lemonade Out of Lemons…The Grand Nationals Saga
The one thing we will all remember about the year 2020 is that it was full of daily changes, upheaval, uncertainty, and glitches. We have already had one with our date change on the Grand Nationals and now we have another change.
The Grand Nationals is on the same date,
but now is
NOT
in Allentown, PA, but in
Gettysburg, PA.
As much as the folks at The NB Center for American Automotive Heritage wanted to host the Grand Nationals, issues in Allentown became insurmountable. They had spent considerable time in planning and securing everything necessary to put on a first-class show only to learn that they could not host us. It was with great sadness that they let us know of their decision to cancel the event on their property, but requested to be put back on the schedule in another year.
Fortunately, the club and the Co-Chairs of the event (Tom Cox and Steve Moskowitz) were able to salvage the show and perhaps make things even better for all the participants. AACA now has a signed contract with the Wyndham Hotel in Gettysburg, PA, to host the show. We had been there in 2018 for a Spring Meet and everyone loved the location. The grounds will allow us to have trailer parking onsite and arrange a show field that will allow for social distancing and meet the mandates of the state. Everything, including two large hotels, will be right there in one spot!
We will not have to be as restrictive as we would have been in Allentown, but we will ask everyone to please follow our COVID-19 policy for the protection of others. Masks, non-invasive temperature taking, etc. will be required. Your cooperation in keeping your fellow members safe will be greatly appreciated. We will be providing extra hand-washing stations and sanitizing “trees.” The club is spending considerable resources to keep everyone safe, but each of us bears a personal responsibility to each other.
This change comes with all sorts of challenges as we now have to secure tents, restroom facilities, food service, etc., so we are attaching a list of activities for you to do while in Gettysburg and we will NOT have any formal activities other than judging school. Our apologies for the slimming down of the show, but it is taking all our energy to make sure the Grand Nationals happens with only 30 days to go!
It WILL happen, along with the Zenith Awards
!
We also apologize in advance that your dash plaque will read Allentown! We will call it the COVID-19 plaque as it will be a reminder of how wild a ride this year has been. It even has the first date of the show, so it will always be a reminder of the show that never happened but happened differently!
It is hard for us to explain how difficult this all has been on us and how much we regret the constant changes. However, as we have said this has been a unique year and we are striving to do everything we can to successfully salvage the end-of-the-year events.
The two hotels on the Gettysburg property are the Wyndham Gettysburg and Courtyard Gettysburg. Both these premium properties are located on the same complex. Due to lower staffing, we strongly urge you to consider booking your reservations online. The following information will be of help in making your plans:
Wyndham Gettysburg
95 Presidential Circle Gettysburg, PA 17325
717-339-0020, $139 per night + tax
Marriott Courtyard
115 Presidential Circle Gettysburg, PA 17325
Hotel registration deadline: August 6, 2020
Self-contained RV Parking: $25 + tax -- pay at Hotel on arrival
Naturally, you are welcome to explore other lodging in the area.
We thank you for your tremendous patience and understanding in this difficult time. Our greatest hope is to host you in Gettysburg in a fun-filled weekend celebrating our great hobby and AACA.
