Celebration Exotic Car Festival
The 8th Annual Celebration Exotic Car Festival, benefitting children’s charities, will be held April 9-10, 2011. This four-day world class event, hosted by the Ferrari Club of America, will be bigger and better than ever, with new activities and even more unique, exotic, and race cars – as well as famous and movie and television cars to be displayed.
The festival, which is organized by a small team of dedicated volunteers of Celebration and other local residents, has established itself as one of the largest of its kind in the country. Since its inception in 2004, over $600,000 has been donated to Make-a-Wish and Special Olympics Florida through the efforts of this event.
The weekend will start on Thursday, April 7th with the Sebring Track Days, when many of the cars will be stretching their legs for two days at the historic Sebring International Raceway, home of the annual 12 Hours of Sebring race. The 3.7 mile, 17 turn circuit is one of the most challenging and technical in the world, and over 100 exotic cars and race cars will be running at full speed. Each afternoon will feature an FCRA vintage Ferrari Challenge Race, with owner-drivers of Ferrari Challenge race cars competing for individual and team trophies.
The festivities continue with the Friday Fireworks dinner on Friday April 8th. EPCOT Centers American Adventure Pavilion will host this exclusive dinner, followed by dessert on a private terrace for premier viewing of the EPCOT Illuminations firework and laser light show.
The Concours of Exotic Cars presented by Sherwin Williams will take place on Saturday, April 9, with 250 exotic cars, race cars and Hollywood movie cars lined up along Celebration’s picturesque lakefront promenade. The world-class show was attended by over 30,000 spectators in 2010. Cars from Ferrari, Maserati, Lamborghini, Bugatti, McLaren, Lotus, Saleen, Spyker, Pantera, Aston Martin, Bentley, DeLorean and many others will be displayed. Admission is free for spectators.
Special features at this year’s event will include a showing of some of the most famous television and motion picture cars in history, including the original Lamborghini Countach driven by Adrienne Barbeau in the 1981 film “Cannonball Run” and the Lamborghini Diablo from the Jim Carrey film “Dumb and Dumber.” The famous “Back to the Future” DeLorean, a huge crowd pleaser in 2010, will return again and be available for photo opportunities. The Star Wars Land Speeder and the Speed Racer Mach V will also return, and will be joined by the Flintstones car from the John Goodman film, and the Rolls Royce from the Dudley Moore classic “Arthur.”
Saturday evening, April 9 will be the annual Jetport Food and Wine Party. A private jet hangar at Signature Aviation at Kissimmee Airport will be converted into a chic, South Beach inspired nightclub for one of the most incredible parties of the year.
Bocuse d’Or USA Foundation (considered to be the elite international society for chefs) and Les Chefs de France have assembled some of the world’s most renowned chefs to prepare a world-class culinary extravaganza, accompanied by unlimited champagne, fine wines and spirits.
Chefs Thomas Keller (The French Laundry, Napa and Per Se, NYC) and Daniel Boulud (Daniel, NYC), considered to be two of the finest chefs in the world, will be making a very rare appearance and will be preparing their most famous dishes at the event. Chefs Keller and Boulud will be joined by more than 20 other celebrity and local chefs, as well as numerous wineries and martini bars.
The evening will feature live entertainment, an exclusive fashion show, an air show, performance artists, charity auctions, and much, much more. More than 100 exotic cars, business jets, vintage planes and personal aircraft will also be on display.
The Jetport Food & Wine Festival attracts guests from all over the country, and in 2010 was attended by numerous Hollywood actors including Carl Weathers, Christopher MvcDonald, Lea Thompson, Cory Feldman and Stephen and Daniel Baldwin. More celebrities are expected in 2011.
Ticket for this star studded, must-attend event are available for $150 at www.celebrationexoticcars.com.
The event keeps going on Sunday, April 10, with the annual Exotic Car Road Rally. Departing Celebration under police escort, more than 100 exotic cars will compete in this fun and competitive rally, which will conclude with an exclusive beach barbecue within Disney World.
Visit www.celebrationexoticcars.com for registration and ticket information.
Keep Track of Celebration Town Center and Events by Following us on Twitter and Facebook:
