6 minute read
Women Behind the Wheel: A Return to PCA Palooza
by Joann Talty photos provided by author
I’m not opposed to returning to old favorites, but my husband will tell you I prefer trying new experiences. In 2021, I had the audacity to take a long weekend off during holiday hair season for my first PCA Palooza in Eureka Springs, Arkansas. I suppose only a hairstylist with retirement on the mind does something like this. Now, I can’t imagine missing one!
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If you haven’t been, or this is the first time you’re hearing of this event, it is a multi-region PCA event in Northwest Arkansas, aka “Little Switzerland,” every second week in November organized by the White River, Cimarron, and Ozark Regions. The title sponsor is Porsche Tulsa.
Since 2005, this four-day event brings in PCA members from across the US. After canceling Palooza in 2020, the 2021 event attracted about 360 cars, nearly 600 people, from about 14 states. This year, looking at the registration list (this is written prior to the event,) I see folks from 30 different PCA regions. In October a gentleman posted numbers for 2022 on the PCA Palooza Facebook site: 383 cars and 692 people from 12 states.
But what exactly is Porsche Palooza, other than two words that make my non-car friends giggle or roll their eyes? It is three days of scheduled tours that leave each morning: six on Thursday, 11 (plus one ladies only) on Friday, and 11 on Saturday. You can sign up and attend one per day.
There are Friday and Saturday evening social mixers and banquet-style dinners. There is a Thursday night ladies mingle and tea, a Friday night bingo, a Saturday Parade of Porsche Power through town, a Saturday afternoon swap meet, and a Saturday people’s choice car show. There are goodie vendors and a Saturday tech session too. More than just a meal, Saturday’s banquet features a weekend wrap-up presentation, car show awards, and plenty of door prizes.
Before attending last year, we asked many questions of those who had been. While there, we spoke to several Mavericks experiencing the weekend several different ways. If PCA Palooza is on your radar for 2023, it’s not too early to begin your planning.
Before I offer tips shared with me, let me begin with some of our first-year mistakes we corrected for 2022. First, we didn’t set up an account and log into the website the minute it opened to register for some of the drives. They fill up fast! Second, we took only one car. As passenger, I took in the incredible fall color in the scenic mountain terrain around Eureka Springs, but I missed the spirited, twisty driving. Third, we did not drive or see the parade through town because we stood on the wrong street after taking too long for lunch. Fourth, we didn’t have a bucket and other essential cleaning supplies when Pat decided last-minute to enter the car show. And fifth, we drove up through Tulsa on a Wednesday to dine at a favorite Irish pub resulting in driving in the dark (much faster than I would like) to stay ahead of a storm. There are deer up there, people! The Best Western Inn of the Ozarks and Convention Center hosts the event providing accommodations for those who book up to a year in advance. Check-in and most events begin at the convention center located at the back of the property. As early as 5:00 pm Wednesday, one may pick up any pre-ordered merchandise with a driver packet containing dining wristbands, tour schedules, and other helpful info. All drives depart from here after brief driver meetings. There is a merchandise room for those who wish to purchase available wearables and mementos. Public restrooms and a hospitality room are also located here. The large
lot at the bottom of the hill is the location of the car show.
For those living a more spontaneous lifestyle, it is possible to wait until early October 2023 to plan your trip. Your challenge may be finding accommodations. This event can fill the entire area that weekend. In 2021, we booked a hotel room in August at the other Best Western. It had a fantastic breakfast and offered us a quick walk into town. It changed ownership and eliminated breakfast, so we chose a cabin for 2022. If not at the host hotel, some friends like staying in an historic downtown hotel, others rent cabins, and a few find other local accommodations.
I think most attendees arrive Wednesday or Thursday, but if you have to work, you have to work. Some Mavs travel up in groups, some take highways, and some find the fun routes! Driving the Talimena Scenic Drive (54 miles from Talihina, OK, to Mena, AR) and the Pig Trail (19 miles of AR-23 from Clarksville to Brashears) are as fun as the event itself. Maybe someone will tell you they’ve driven from our area to Eureka Springs in about five highway hours, but Coop and I selected the 8.5-hour route with a pet-friendly night in Fort Smith.
The organized tours vary in length from 24 to 209 miles, with various scenic and meal stops. Some tours cater to specific interests such as the Wine Country Tour, the Safari Tour (for high-clearance models only,) and the Coffee and Cuban Tour for ladies only. Some dip into Southwest Missouri. All tours depart between 7:45 am and 10:30 am.
Most friends signed up for tours and meals, but I met a few fellow Mavs who preferred to do their own thing. Since they’ve attended the event so many times, they slept
in, devised their own drives, and sampled unique dining experiences in town. “Downtown” is about two streets, but there appear to be neat finds heading in all directions out of town. We took a night last year to sample as many establishments as possible downtown – a glass of wine here, an appetizer there, a dessert at yet another spot. Some folks we spoke with began their holiday shopping during some of the free time. We enjoyed time meeting new people, and I recommend not overbooking yourself. One morning, before our drive, we headed west on Highway 62 to Thorncrown Chapel, designed by Pat celebrated a win in 2022 and followed up this year too renowned architect E. Fay Jones. Like the chapel in Hot Springs, it is a wooden structure rising 48 feet with 425 windows and more than 6,000 square feet of glass in a woodland setting. It opens at 9:00 am, there is no admission (donations are accepted,) and one should check to see if a wedding is booked before stopping by, especially on a Saturday (https://thorncrown.com). Sitting on a shelf in Pat’s office is a fancy trophy for winning his category in the 2021 Shine and Show people’s choice car show. I’m pretty new to shows, but this one had plenty of eye candy. Since I’m planning a relaxing, scenic visit with my puppy this year, I am not entering the show with my sexy Beast after her makeover. I still will pack a few detail supplies as there are nearby self-serve carwashes. It wouldn’t be right to end this article without including tips on what to wear or bring. It’s pretty casual and the weather really dictates wardrobe. A few folks took the opportunity to look a bit nicer for the Saturday night festivities – I saw a few sports coats and dresses. It doesn’t hurt to have an ice scraper, detail kit, driving gloves, and some reliable outerwear. If you pack your schedule tightly and your lodging doesn’t include breakfast, a cooler of water and some on-the-go nibbles are a good idea too. My best tip? Everyone should experience PCA Palooza at least once.
