IOLA, Wis. — Jarold Smith doesn’t own the black and gold 1957 Plymouth Fury, but he’s more than happy to talk about it.

A mechanic from Georgia, he built the dual carburetors on the car being shown at the Iola Car Show in central Wisconsin.

“They end up being like children or extensions of your family,” Smith said. “Some people keep them their whole lives. Some people here have their dad’s car, or their grandfather’s car that’s been in the family for generations.”

He’s been coming to the show for the last years.

For him, the event is about meeting people — a little teasing — and the cars. Well, maybe all about the cars.

“This is the car we took our first date in,” he said about why he and others keep vintage vehicles running. “This is the car we were so proud of when we picked up our girlfriend. Or this was the first car was a real hot rod or the first car you learned to drive in. That’s what lives on with these cars.”

The show turns 50-years-old this year and is expected to draw more than 120,000 people to the small Wisconsin community.

Ali Johnson, who handles marketing for the show, said the event offers everything from part swaps to camping and entertainment.

“Then of course all our show cars. I mean, look at these gorgeous things,” she said. “Twenty five hundred of them over three days, it’s just beautiful.”

Johnson first volunteered for the event in 2019 before moving on to a staff job.

“It’s about the memories,” she said about what makes the show special. “I remember the first time I brought one of my kid here. It’s just a family building tradition you’ve got to keep going to.”

Smith said cars like the Plymouth — and gatherings like the Iola show — transport participants to another point in their lives.

“We get to pretend we’re kids again when we get in here,” he said. “Us old fat guys get to pretend we’re kids, and that’s what makes it fun.”