Volunteers preparing for annual Piper Fest Sept. 30

Volunteers are preparing for Piper Fest and a companion car show on Saturday, Sept. 30, at Piper High School, 4400 N. 107th St., Kansas City, Kansas.

Sean Ziolo, a Piper area resident, said the second year for the event will include a 5K run, car show, silent auction, breakfast sponsored by the Boy Scouts, food trucks, vendors, and a taco dinner and street dance.

Ziolo, who is heading the car show, said last year they had about 65 cars entered in the event, and this year he hopes to have double that number.

The car show will run from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Some other events in the festival will run from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Last year’s principal’s choice winner in the car show was Frankie Oropeza, the original owner of a 1969 Chevelle on display, Ziolo said. Oropeza had bought his car originally in Bonner Springs.

A lot of cars that are locally owned will be joined by cars coming from as far away as Springfield, Mo., Omaha, Neb., Ziolo said.

There also will be a demonstration by a race car that drag races in the National Hot Rod Association, he added.

The entry fee for the car show is $10. The owner of the car that is ranked at the top in the show will receive $150, while there is a $100 prize for second place and a $50 prize for third place, he said. More than 65 awards will be given. Some of the awards were handcrafted by Anthony Biondi and Rick Schaefer.

The funds raised by the car show and most of the events at Piper Fest will go back into the Piper schools, Ziolo said.

There is no admission charge to the car show. At Piper Fest, there will be a charge for the carnival wristband, bounce houses and games.

Refreshments also will be for sale at Piper Fest, he added, and will benefit the Piper schools.

A Boy Scout pancake breakfast from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. will benefit a Boy Scout troop.

A street dance is planned from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Saturday, with a band and a disc jockey, free to the public. There is a charge for a taco dinner from 5 to 7 p.m., of $7 for adults and $5 for children 10 and younger.

The schedule of events at the Piper Fest:
Pancake breakfast, 7-10 a.m.
Auction, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
5K Family Fun Run-Walk, 8 a.m.
Car and truck show, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Carnival, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Craft show, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Softball game, 1 p.m.
Food vendors, 11 a.m.
Taco dnner, 5 to 7 p.m.
Street dance, 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

For more information, see www.piperfest.com.