Print edition: 
If you love cars and the cooler fall weather, don't care about trophies and don't mind being referred to as a "geezer," a one-block section of Old Town was the place to be last Saturday. It was the venue for the sixth annual "Geezer Gathering," a low-key, unjudged car show dreamed up by Roy Merritt, aided and abetted by a bunch of his car buddies.
There was something there for everyone, from a rare Mercury-bodied 1923 Model T raceabout to a full-on 1970s vintage AA/FD built as a tribute to drag racer Steve Carbone. Merritt was invited to man the controls of the fuel dragster during one of several "cackle" sessions when the car was fired up and the throttle blipped.
"We decided to try it down here this year... because of the cramped conditions at Roy's," said Michael Behrend, who helped organize the first invitational get-together. "We're not all weekend car show guys... so this is a good opportunity to bring some cars out... that represent Wichita's craftsmanship and engineering," he said.
Car makes and models were loosely grouped so participants could compare and contrast different approaches to a specific type of car. There was a whole row of '32 Ford Deuces, as well as a batch of '40 Fords parked fender-to-fender.
John Belford, Ernie Nelson, Chuck Grauel and Robin Spurrier, who are loosely known as "Rock Island Enterprises," stepped forward to help host the meet-and-greet along a cordoned-off section of North Rock Island.
"It's still my event... but this has been a big load off of me," Merritt said.
The day wrapped up with a couple of traditional gag awards and a cookout and then the street legal cars fired up and rumbled off back to their garages. All in all, a fine way to usher in autumn.
