It is indeed a classic! That was the consensus of all in the building Sunday, March 22 in learning about the history of the Blanchardville Cruis’n Wisconsin Car, Truck and Motorcycle Show across the pastfour decades in Blanchardville’s Mckellar Park.
An enthusiastic Blanchardville Historical Society (BHS) audience enjoyed a 90 minute presentation from show founder/organizer Frank Schlumpf and from current Cruis’n Wisconsin show organizer Aaron Jorenby.
Both men spoke at length, detailing the many steps involved in staging a car show each summer, fielded questions from the audience and described the differences between modified and stock categories. They also circulated show trophies, show artifacts, posters, collector t-shirts and memorabilia from past shows to audience members for viewing.
Simultaneously playing in rotation on a large screen at the Blanchardville Public Library meeting room presentation was a collection of over 130 vintage car show photographs of assorted local area residents volunteering on various car show work details across the decades.
The car show celebrates its 40 years in existence this summer at the 2026 show slated for Sunday, July 12 at Mckellar Park. Schlumpf and Jorenby agreed the Blanchardville show has grown into and remains as the largest annual car show across southwest Wisconsin.
A somewhat related but different Blanchardville “CRUISE IN” auto show is also hosted, annually, by Blanchardville CommunityPride Incorporated, via Jorenby, Schlumpf and a similar slate of volunteers and is always held in mid-August. Known as a less formal show, the 2026 CRUISE IN on Blanchardville’s Main Street is slated for Thursday evening Aug. 20, 2026.
The CRUISE IN show will be held for an eleventh time this summer.
The detailed oratorical history of the Cruis’n Wisconsin show was the focus and theme of the 2026 Blanchardville Historical Society’s (BHS) March 22 annual meeting.
Additionally, the car show’s history, including photographs, text, artifacts and t-shirts will all be a part of the BHS Museum’s featured ‘Summer – 2026’ display (open Saturday mornings) during summer months.
Schlumpf and Jorenby emphasized Blanchardville’s car show is different than many similar events, due to being a ‘judged’ show – with a group of primarily pre-recruited judges who circle the grounds on show day, using a list of criteria to evaluate entries. The judged format is different than many auto shows where the exhibitors themselves are the judges.
Schlumpf described what judges look for regarding vehicles, with cleanliness topping the list, adding that Blanchardville’s show is one of few to include full chassis judging.
Schlumpf was the longtime Art teacher in the local school system, first as a dual district Art teacher at both of the separate Hollandale and Blanchardville school districts when he was first employed, during the 1969-1970 school year. Following school district consolidation, Schlumpf led the Art department for many years and in fact praised Jorenby Sunday as having been one of his more talented young artists. Both men described how they’ve used their artistic talents across the past four decades in designing art utilized by RBS graphic artists/designers in Argyle in coming up with new designs and artistic layout each year for show t-shirts and signage.
The show’s t-shirts have always been popular and can be seen across the state as show attendees often purchase shirts, then wear them at subsequent shows held throughout the midwest in the weeks, months and years to follow.
“It takes a lot of volunteers, not just for the concessions and set up and registration and t-shirt sales, but also to get judges for the show,” said Jorenby, mentioning the keys to a successful show. He says promotion, marketing and advertising play key roles in the show’s success, as does the circulation of literally thousands of pre-show flyers, distributed all across the region, not only at service stations, grocery stores and at taverns and restaurants, but also at numerous other auto shows and online.
Jorenby thanked rural Blanchardville native Beth McGowan for all of her annual online and social media promotional/creative contributions made annually. Of late, more and more on-line ‘pre-registration’ takes some of the show day pressure off registration volunteers.
Another development in recent years has been to locate several donation boxes across the show grounds, rather than charging spectator admission, a transition that Jorenby noted brings in an almost identical amount of funding compared to admission fees.
Schlumpf, an Eau Claire native and Eau Claire Regis High School graduate (before attending and graduating with an Art degree from UW Eau Claire) told the Blanchardville audience his love of cars and all things automotive dated back to his pre-teen and teenage years when he got involved in clay modeling of cars and he said his father was also a car enthusiast, possessing a hobby that passed from one generation to another.
Schlumpf provided background on how he first considered working in the professional art/design field, but then decided to pursue an education career and ended up being hired locally, an opportunity that led him to be Hollandale and later, Pecatonica’s head boys basketball coach for several years before he exited coaching in order to put in the extra academic time needed to secure his master’s degree.
Schlumpf reminisced that it was during a mid 1980s visit at the former Black Oak Inn in Blanchardville, where he and long time Blanchardville businessman Carl Chandler first discussed the possibility of holding a car show in the village.
Having been a self-described motorhead since his teens, Schlumpf said he had a background in evaluating antique cars and collector vehicles and already was a veteran of car show attendance. Schlumpf assured Chandler there was merit in considering the hosting of a car, truck and cycle show in this part of southwestern Wisconsin. The two men talked about what it would take to initiate a successful show, such as gathering a group of volunteers and taking on the task of selecting a date, getting judges, getting a picnic license, recruiting/obtaining a ‘featured vehicle’ and agreeing on site parking and layout for conducting such a show.
the backing of both the Blanchardville Chamber of Commerce and the Blanchardville Village Board.
“We had 103 entries at our very first car show, back in 1987 and that was a good turnout. That was a really good number back then, at a time when actually there weren’t a lot of shows. Beloit and Platteville and Madison had shows back then, but there weren’t a lot of other shows then across southern Wisconsin,” added Schlumpf.
The initial Blanchardville car show, held on July 26, 1987 additionally featured live dance music by popular Madison-based rock band – ‘Max Voltage and the Resistors’ at an evening dance.
“We have always been grateful for and have appreciated all of our many generous sponsors, all of the volunteers and local business and individual support and we’ve always bought all our food for concessions through our local grocery store,” added Schlumpf.
Schlumpf and Jorenby additionally praised their spouses, family members and long time friends who have supported the show’s efforts for years and in many cases, across multiple decades. They said Blanchardville’s show is fortunate to have Dave Palmer as announcer. Palmer’s an ‘in-demand’ on air personality who is a veteran radio guy, dirt track racer and all around terrific car show announcer and who is featured at shows not only in Wisconsin and midwest, but also across the country.
Jorenby said this year’s featured vehicle, valued at well over $2.4 million, will truly be something special for participants and audience members to behold on Sunday, July 12 in Blanchardville.
Regarding Blanchardville Historical Society meeting notes from the March 22 session, BHS President Karl Gant presided over the session at which directors Becky Johnson and Beth Kundert were reelected to three year terms on the Board of Directors. Secretary Judy Watrud read the meeting minutes from one year earlier (March, 2025) at which time the BHS annual meeting session theme had focused
on the history of the United Methodist Church in Blanchardville. Also Sunday, BHS Treasurer Becky Johnson reported the historical society had 2025 income of $2,349, expenses of $2,569, had a gain on investments of $4,322, has $3,043 in its bank account as of Dec. 31, 2025 and has $39,243 in its Vanguard brokerage account.
(Story and photographs submitted – courtesy of Gary McKenzie/BHS member.)