Hello friends,
It is a new year, and through various efforts and forces COVID-19 is now of less concern to most demographics and I feel confident that we can now plan a meet of similar scale and type as our past Metro Detroit meets.
For some history, in the time that I've been active in the community, several of the locals (including a couple from substantially further) have gotten together...
All past attendees are welcome to appear again, and any new faces are welcome as well. We're a reasonably low-key bunch and don't want to make a gigantic event, but I won't put a size cap on it either.
We can follow the same type of format: meet-n-greet with optional swap meet, car photo time, meal time. We could do a mid-late morning meet with late lunch to follow, or more of a noon-afternoon meet with dinner to follow, and we'll be looking at a Saturday or Sunday. In an ideal circumstance, vehicles in attendance are Panthers but that isn't a strict requirement as long as you're a community member. Once details get firmed up, it will go out as a Facebook event on the GMN page as well.
So, with that being said, we have some items to work out.
I figure I'm probably a little early to the table with this, but if we start a discussion we can put together something nice to make up for the last few years of inactivity. Please feel free to reply with potential interest, any blackout (totally unavailable) dates, and any desired/wish list dates. I think it's pretty fair to say that if out-of-state attendees are wanting in, us locals can try to accommodate the dates that work better for the ones with the longer drives.
Obviously, there are some considerations that haven't applied in the past which do now on account of COVID, those being:
It is a new year, and through various efforts and forces COVID-19 is now of less concern to most demographics and I feel confident that we can now plan a meet of similar scale and type as our past Metro Detroit meets.
For some history, in the time that I've been active in the community, several of the locals (including a couple from substantially further) have gotten together...
- 2017-08-26: Thread Link: Halmich Park in Warren for car show-n-tell/meet-n-greet, followed by a meal at Vinsetta Garage on Woodward with impromptu Town Car drag race on the way (I won)
- 2018-08-25: Thread Link: Halmich Park, and I don't remember nor can I find a reference to what we ended up doing for food but I'm sure we did something.
- 2019-10-19: Thread Link: Halmich Park, followed by a meal at Parrot Cove, a kind of cheesily-themed place just around the corner in Troy that turned out to have decent food.
All past attendees are welcome to appear again, and any new faces are welcome as well. We're a reasonably low-key bunch and don't want to make a gigantic event, but I won't put a size cap on it either.
We can follow the same type of format: meet-n-greet with optional swap meet, car photo time, meal time. We could do a mid-late morning meet with late lunch to follow, or more of a noon-afternoon meet with dinner to follow, and we'll be looking at a Saturday or Sunday. In an ideal circumstance, vehicles in attendance are Panthers but that isn't a strict requirement as long as you're a community member. Once details get firmed up, it will go out as a Facebook event on the GMN page as well.
So, with that being said, we have some items to work out.
- Meet location: Halmich Park has proven popular because it's easy to find, has adequate space, and in a decent area. I have no oppositions to using it again but I am equally in favour of trying another similar option.
- Car photos: can happen at the meet location, as well as other locations which Detroit has plenty of. I do possess a DJI Mavic Mini "flycam" (aka drone); however my understanding is there might be some red tape before I can legally use it in the US. Rolling out for photoshoots might influence the meet location; I feel like there might be some value in exploring options closer to Midtown or Southwest Detroit. There's good food as well as photo ops in those directions.
- Food: as above, I feel like if we shift a bit further south, we open up some opportunities. I will toss out some suggestions of Ford's Garage in Dearborn, Mi Pueblo or El Nacimiento in SW Detroit, Mercury Burger Bar by Michigan Central Station (admittedly not well suited to a group), and Detroit Shipping Co in Midtown...gotta see it to really understand it, it's hard to put that one into words, but it's a decent venue.
- Food alternative: it might make sense to bring whatever is appropriate (e.g. tabletop bbq) and just do supermarket burgers and deli salads at the meet location. I'm equally in favour of this, and it makes cost be dramatically less. If this appeals to folks, we would work out an assignment list of who brings what.
- Auxiliary activities: junkyarding as a social activity is a possibility. I'm indifferent about its inclusion, but would be interested if other participants were as well. There does still tend to be a solid supply of Panthers of all ages in the yards I like to frequent.
I figure I'm probably a little early to the table with this, but if we start a discussion we can put together something nice to make up for the last few years of inactivity. Please feel free to reply with potential interest, any blackout (totally unavailable) dates, and any desired/wish list dates. I think it's pretty fair to say that if out-of-state attendees are wanting in, us locals can try to accommodate the dates that work better for the ones with the longer drives.
Obviously, there are some considerations that haven't applied in the past which do now on account of COVID, those being:
- Vaccination: this is a requirement, by both the governments of USA and Canada, for any party crossing the US-Canada border in either direction. This is relevant because Canadians may wish to attend.
- COVID-19 testing: this previously in-force requirement for parties entering Canada has been removed. This is relevant because Canadians who may attend will need to return home, and the testing requirement being removed makes this easier. Other "return to Canada" requirements which are new since COVID do exist which I am familiar with and can assist with; please PM me with related questions.
- Mask wearing: the State of Michigan does not mandate the wearing of masks but does encourage it, and some private establishments may have a strong preference for masks. The type of venues we would likely consider for a car meet are unlikely to be among those. The meet itself will neither mandate nor ban masks, and you are free to make the decision you feel is best for yourself.
- Actually having COVID and risk of transmission: if you attend a social function with a group of people, you must understand that you are assuming the risk of potentially contracting any communicable illness that one of the other attendees has, and that is your sole risk to analyze in your decision to attend, for which you bear all associated responsibility.
- COVID discussion in general: as with sports and politics, this is a polarizing topic and it's best if further chatter about it be avoided. I only mentioned what I did here because it's necessary to enable informed decisions and facilitate some people to attend.
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