Shriners Capitol Concours d'Elegance


Have you heard about the Capitol Concours d'Elegance? Neither had I until I got an alert about it recently. I always welcome another car show even though we are blessed with many.

The Concours is in its 17th year but has been moved to a new, prominent location – the beautiful Sacramento Capitol Mall - from Rancho Cordova in an effort to grow the event and give it a nice backdrop.

The Concours will cover multiple blocks of Capitol Mall between California’s Capitol and the iconic Tower Bridge on Sunday, September 19, 2010, 10:00 am to 4:00 pm, featuring cars of Italy, France and an American Icon, the Ford Thunderbird. The Capitol Concours d’Elegance benefits the Shriners Hospital for Children Northern California.

There is more than the actual Concours though. A Prelude d'Elegance will be held on July 31, 2010, at Town and Country Village Shopping Center, at Marconi and Fulton Avenues, Sacramento, where cars will be on display prior to the Concours. There will be a “teaser” event on Friday, September 17, 2010, with cars parked in lobbies and plazas up and down Capitol Mall, and on Capitol Mall itself. A Tour d'Elegance will be held at 10:00 am on Saturday, September 18, 2010, for all entrant cars and more. From 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm there is an Evening Reception d’Elegance, a top the 25th floor of the US Bank Building, 621 Capitol Mall.

The Concours Sunday, September 19, 2010, includes a Ride and Drive where you will have the opportunity to take a ride in an exotic car or one of several special cars from Mercedes-Benz for a donation to the hospital or give one of the patient children the ride of his or life for a donation. Cars will line the median down Capitol Mall and vendors and more cars will line the streets on both sides. The Capitol Concours d’Elegance is a Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) Sanctioned event judged by SCCA rules. It is one of a group of Concours in Northern California that allow car entrants to earn points throughout the season culminating with a best of the best in October. Garage Style Magazine is hosting an Art and Automobilia tent.

More information may be found at www.ShrinersConcours.com. Tickets are $10 in advance at the website or $15 at the gate. Food, drinks and live entertainment will be available. The Capitol Concours d’Elegance is supported by the Lamborghini Club of America and the Ferrari Club of America-Sacramento Region; for a complete list of sponsors check out the web site. If you want to enter a car, a registration form is available at the web site.

The California Automobile Museum will have a display, as well as Dimora Motorcar

All – that’s right ALL - proceeds benefit Shriners Hospitals for Children Northern California. Shriners Hospital for Children Northern California puts 93 cents of every dollar to use providing care for thousands of kids with orthopedic conditions, burns, spinal cord injuries, and cleft lip and palate, in a family-centered environment with no financial obligation to patients or families.

For those of you who may not be familiar with Sacramento, or who think of it as just a place where windbag politicians gather, you are in for a treat. Sacramento has blossomed into a place to go. There are literally dozens of great restaurants in the downtown area, clubs, open air events, historic sites and now a great Concours d’Elegance. If you want to make a night of it there are hotels in every price range. Courtyard Marriott Sacramento Midtown, 4422 Y Street, a sponsor of the event, is offering rooms at $84.00 a night. Call them directly at 916.455.6800, and don’t forget to let them know you’re attending the Shriners Capitol Concours d’Elegance or give them the rate code SHRI.

So get your family and yourself to Sacramento for the Capitol Concours d’Elegance; see some great automobiles, enjoy what will undoubtedly be a spectacular day (expect plenty of sunshine and heat – take sun block), and help out the Shriners Hospital for Children Northern California.

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