Car & Truck Show chock full of family fun
The Greater Milwaukee International Car & Truck show is a delight for kids. Where else can they climb in and around new cars, play mini-golf and even get behind the wheel and drive actual kid-sized vehicle? Because there is so much for families to do at the show, its sponsors decided to let kids 16 and younger into the show for free on all nine days, as long as the young ones accompany a paying adult. “We used to have just one day with free admission for kids, and it proved wildly popular,” says Jim Tolkan, president of ADAMM, sponsor of the show. “So why not make every day kids’ day?” The show runs Feb. 23 through March 3 at the Wisconsin Center, 400 W. Wisconsin Ave. Whether you are in the market for a new car now, down the road, or just enjoy seeing what’s new, there is plenty for adults to do at the show, too. It starts with the opportunity to take your time while checking out more than 400 of the latest car, truck, crossover and SUV models on all three floors of the center. You can sit in the driver’s seat, measure the head and leg room, calculate the trunk or cargo space, identify any blind spots and get a feel for how YOU feel in every vehicle you are considering. While there are plenty of experts on hand to answer questions, there’s no pressure whatsoever to buy. New at the show this year: • Sip & Savor: Twenty-five area craft brewers and several restaurants will provide samples of more than 70 beers and bites to taste at stations intermingled with the cars during the evening of Feb. 25. A separate ticket is required, at sipnsavormilwaukee.com, for $19.95 or at the door for $24. The ticket price includes admission to the show. • Bennett Coachworks Showcase: Milwaukee’s own car restoration experts will offer an exhibit of “barn finds” in a wide variety of conditions • EVS Collection: Rare vehicles from the collection of Eric von Schledorn will be on display, including a U.S. Bicentennial Cadillac Eldorado convertible and a Trans Am once owned by Burt Reynolds. Many favorites from past years will be returning, too. • Mascot Day: The UW Alumni Marching Band, Bucky Badger, Bernie Brewerand the Milwaukee Brewers’ Racing Sausages, among others, will parade around the show from 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m., Saturday, March 2. • Kids Track: Kids drive electric vehicles on a mini roadway. 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sundays, and 4 to 8 p.m. Friday. • Test Drives: Take a spin on downtown streets in the latest models from Jeep, Dodge, Chrysler and RAM and more, on the weekends. • Tricky Trails Golf Links: Family-friendly mini golf. Minimum donation of $2 is requested to benefit Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin. 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays, 5 to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 3 to 7 p.m. Friday.