Decades of Wheels in Baxter Springs opens with concerts, car shows

The Decades of Wheels car museum and other related businesses in downtown Baxter Springs, Kansas, opened over the weekend with several high-profile concerts, car and motorcycle shows.

The event was declared a success by organizers, despite chilly temperatures and rain marring the festivities, according to the Cherokee County News-Advocate.

The weekend included shows by Grand Funk Railroad, Granger Smith and the last concert for John Kay, frontman for his longtime band Steppenwolf, as he rides off into retirement.

John Kay and Steppenwolf at Baxter Springs, Kansas.

According to the newspaper:

Ivy LeBlanc, the niece of the owner of the museum who wishes to remain unnamed, said that she is proud of her aunt.

“We’re so proud of what our aunt has accomplished here,” LeBlanc said. “To put this here on Route 66, is definitely a big deal.

“Now people get to see cars like this, people from all over, not just here, can come enjoy them.”

Here’s a brief report from KSNF-TV:

Ron Hart of the Route 66 Chamber of Commerce, who was in Baxter Springs all weekend, reported in a Facebook post:

Where else could you see a rotating display movie cars like ‘Herbie’ the Love Bug, the ‘Black Beauty’ from the Green Hornet, ‘Dragula’ from the Munsters, the ‘Back to the Future’ DeLorean, the ‘Ghostbusters’ ambulance, multiple ‘Batmobiles’ and many more!

The Route 66 Chamber of Commerce, based in Joplin, spent all three days of this event that will soon be recognized as an Icon on 66, and the entire West side between 11th. and 12th. street was purchased just month ago. The 1923 ‘Ritz’ Movie theater has been completely restored….the Cafe on the Route is open….the former ‘Angels on the Route’ is now a ‘Pub& Bistro’, and coming soon will be a thirty-room hotel, an indoor arcade,, a Go Cart track and a ‘Bed and Breakfast’!

(Image of the Decades of Wheels neon sign via video screen capture; image of John Kay and Steppenwolf by Decades of Wheels via Facebook)

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