First Elegance at Hershey set for June 11-12

The inaugural “Elegance at Hershey: A Weekend of Cars and Causes” will be held June 11-12 on the grounds of the four-star Hotel Hershey in Hershey, Penn.

The event will celebrate the finest of collector automobiles, vintage race cars and charities. The Grand Ascent, a timed hill climb open to cars from the 1920s through 1959, will be held Saturday, June 11, followed by The Elegance, an invitation-only event featuring the finest of Concours-quality cars, on Sunday, June 12.

A dinner party and charity auction, themed on Italy’s Mille Miglia, will be held Saturday night at the Hotel Hershey. An evening of Italian-themed food, drink and entertainment will culminate in a live auction of luxury items to raise funds for event beneficiaries.

Saturday’s Grand Ascent will retrace the route of the Hershey Hill Climb that ran between 1958 and 1970. The new event will be sanctioned by the Vintage Sports Car Club of America and feature only vintage cars. The field of 40 vehicles is expected to have 15 or more pre-World War II cars charging up the twisting 0.7-mile course in what promises to be a real spectacle of vintage machines and their intrepid drivers pitted against a challenging course. (Think Goodwood, with trees.)

The Elegance is modeled after the classic Concours d’Elegance, featuring cars of the early 1960s and older. The exclusive field of 60 cars was hand selected based on rarity, style, preservation and significance. The cars will be arrayed in the classically manicured gardens immediately behind the Hotel. Lunch is available in the famous circular dining room, which features a clear view of some of the most fabulous cars ever assembled on the East coast.

Beneficiaries include the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, the AACA Museum, and AACA Library and Research Center.

Tickets to The Grand Ascent are available for $5 at the gate, while tickets for The Elegance are $20 in advance or at the gate. Dinner tickets are also available for $150 each.

For more information go to www.theeleganceathershey.com. To purchase tickets or make a donation, call 717-534-1910.

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