Kenneth Tillery said he drove his 1957 Chevy pickup 1,500 miles before it finally stopped, just as he was driving into the main gate of the 21st annual Father's Day car show in Hermitage.

The truck would go no further, but Tillery said he wasn't going to let that stop him from enjoying himself.

"I'm a big fisherman, but there ain't nothing better than spending a Sunday afternoon looking at old cars," he said.

Tillery, 66, formerly of Girard, Ohio, and his family made their way from their home in Texas to Hermitage Sunday for the car show put on by the Shenango Valley Region of the Antique Car Club of America.

Several blocks on East State Street between North Hermitage Road and Kerrwood Drive were blocked off as classic cars and hot rods filled both sides of the thoroughfare.

Though Tillery said his truck wouldn't be judged, he was still happy to be a part of the giant crowd of car buffs. He said he's been interested in old cars since graduating from high school in 1955.

"I never got away from them," he said. "I'm surprised by the amount of young people that get interested in this."

Fred Ross, president of the car club, said Sunday's event drew about 600 cars and thousands of auto devotees.

"If we don't have 20,000 people here, I'd be surprised," Ross said, looking out over the crowd from his place at the organizers' tent.

Ross said the weather cooperated fully with the event and helped draw people from diverse places.

Car fans got to peek at everything from a 1950 Ford Deluxe to a 1969 Pontiac GTO.

While some, like Tillery, had only been coming to the show for a few years, others like Cindy and Carleton Woodruff said they have been attending the show for about 15 years.

Woodruff, technical adviser for the LaSalle Club's Western Reserve region, and his wife showed off their 1968 Coupe de Ville.

The Woodruffs, who own over 30 older cars, have been collecting low-mileage Cadillacs for 20 years, Mrs. Woodruff said.

"(We don't) have children, but we have old Cadillacs," she said laughing.

Ted and Dee Walsh of Brookfield showcased their 1924 Model T Ford roadster. Walsh said they got their car from Montana four years ago, and this was their third year participating in the car show.

He said the car, which makes 30 mph, doesn't stay hidden when it's warm outside.

"I drive it almost everyday," he said. "When the weather's nice, I'm out driving. It doesn't sit in the garage."

Mrs. Walsh said a lot of the interest in their car comes from older people who are taken with its nostalgia.

"A lot of older men like it because either they drove one or their dad had one," she said. She added that a lot of younger people are curious about it too, since they've only seen the cars on television or in movies.

The show drew classic car owners from the Shenango Valley and places farther afield -- Alliance, Ashtabula, Campbell, Hudson and Orwell, Ohio, Monaca and New Brighton, Pa.

Patty and Ralph Farulli of Washington County drove their award-winning 1969 Dodge Dart GTS more than 70 miles to get to the show.

They said they display their car in shows all over Ohio and Pennsylvania, but this was their first year at the Hermitage show.

"This really is a nice setup here. It's a nice atmosphere with the kids and the babies in strollers," he said. "We like to get out and have a lot of people see the car. That's what it's all about."

Farulli said he got the car in 1994 and it was in pretty bad shape. A year later, had the green machine fully restored and back on the road.

He said that the car's original selling price was $3,862, but with all the work that went into rebuilding the engine and fixing up the body, it's now worth $20,000. It has won 150 awards since the couple have been entering it in car shows, Farulli said.

Mrs. Farulli said she enjoys showing the car, but she's also happy to talk with strangers.

"It's nice to meet different people and discuss things other than cars," she said.

Ross said some proceeds from the show will go toward an area charity. In the past, the club has made donations to the Shenango Valley Children's Transplant Fund and the Red Cross.

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