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Community Corner

Back to the Future (In a Van)

Vanners unite to revive the 1970s.

Do you remember the custom-vanning craze of the 1970s? All across the USA, dedicated vanners customized their Fords, Chevys, Dodges, etc., to make highly individual vehicles that turned heads wherever they went.

Don’t worry if you missed the 70s. Custom vans are again growing in popularity, and the Four Town Fairgrounds in Somers has just hosted the 10th staging of Super Somer – A Custom Van/Truck Event. Year-after-year the number of vans coming to the Four Town Fairgrounds has steadily grown as the vanners work to revive the sport.

“We promote this as a family event. We have kids’ games to keep the youngsters entertained and we have volleyball, horseshoes and live music in the evening for the adults,” said show organizer Pat Doolan of Altruk Vans.

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“No two vehicles are the same. That’s why vanning is so cool. It’s so varied. You’ll see old vans, new vans, vans with roof chops, vans with airbrushed artwork and some with huge sound systems. They’re all one-of-a-kind,” he continued.

“Altruk is a non-profit organization. We donate the proceeds from Super Somer to the Ronald McDonald House and the Smile Train charities. 

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“This year, Paul Mennett from the Cruisin’ New England TV show is here to shoot some footage for his new series. We have one of our tireless van promoters, Todd Vaillancourt, to thank for this boost to vanning.  Paul invited several vanners and their vans, including Todd, to be part of his recent annual Elite Dream Machines show held at Mohegan Sun. Todd approached Paul about coming to Super Somer, and Paul loved the idea.”

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