That’s a wrap!  What started in January with Auto Mania at the Allentown Fairgrounds concluded in grand fashion at the end of September with Fall Carlisle at the Carlisle PA Fairgrounds.  In fact, this wasn’t just any Fall Carlisle (September 27-October 1), it was the 50^th offering of Carlisle Events’ flagship automotive flea market event. 

The five-day event included the standard automotive flea market and car corral frenzy as well as a two-day collector car auction at the Carlisle Expo Center presented by Carlisle Auctions.  The auction, which took place September 28-29, saw 58% of the 400+ consignments sell and tallied $4.5 million in sales.  Of those sales, a 1966 Shelby GT350H, selling for $210,600 earned top dollar. 

In addition, Fall Carlisle welcomed the AACA Car Club to the stage to showcase a gallery of cars, solicit for new club members, and promote events they support in the region.  Other display elements included the Shop Art Gallery in Building T.  This area was for artists who repurpose discarded car parts and turn them into works of art.  In addition to this dedicated area, there was a lot of Shop Art available within the flea market as well.  Also found within the flea market were numerous Anymotive vendors.  Anymotive vending features items that have a motor but aren’t cars.  This may include bikes, tractors, boats, lawnmowers, etc. 

There were also some extra special happenings on Saturday of Fall Carlisle.  Once again, gates opened at 7 AM and in doing so, ushered in guests who, for a variety of reasons, could not be part of the event in the preceding days.  As the morning transitioned to mid-day, Carlisle Events and American Collectors Insurance welcomed Paul Teutul Jr. and Paul Jr. Designs to unveil a custom-built 1939 Lincoln Zephyr.  Following the unveiling, Teutul hung around to meet fans, sign autographs, and answer guests’ questions about the car and his career.

Paul Jr.’s appearance at Fall Carlisle wasn’t the only special part of the day, as around 6 PM vendors came together for an annual private event that celebrates them and their continued support of all events at Carlisle, especially Spring and Fall Carlisle.  What made this dinner even more special was it served as a celebration not only for the 50^th of Fall Carlisle, complete with two dozen or so original vendors from show one but also as a surprise 80^th birthday party for Carlisle Events co-founder and co-owner Bill Miller Jr. (his birthday is in December).  Family and friends came together to share stories, reminisce, and even shed a few tears of joy as Bill became the man of the hour!

With Fall Carlisle and its two-day collector car auction in the rearview mirror, plans are underway for the last auction of the year in Lakeland, Florida as well as the entirety of the upcoming 2024 season schedule.  In fact, Fall Carlisle 2023 served as the soft launch for Carlisle’s year-long 50^th Celebration in 2024.  Complete details on the 2024 Carlisle Events season can be found at CarlisleEvents.com.  The 2024 season starts just after the holidays, with Auto Mania (January 19-21, 2024) at the Allentown Fairgrounds.  By the way, Spring Carlisle 2024 gets things going in central PA from April 17-21, while Fall Carlisle 2024 is October 2-6.