Rolling Into Fall at the VW Harvest

There’s no small humor to be found in the fact that a classic piece of Americana is actually German, but if you think of long drives and warm summer nights, camping out of the back of a van or cruising on open roads, there’s a good chance you’re seeing the distinctive, almost cuddly curves of a vintage Volkswagen.

VW enthusiasts will be keeping that spirit humming next weekend (Oct. 24-25) with the return of their annual celebration of the classic air-cooled Beetle and Microbus, and all things Fastback and Squareback, at the VW Harvest in Hutto.

Gary Alexander was one of the original founders of the VW Harvest back in 2010. Recalling those early days, he said, “Fall is perfect weather here in Texas, and there was a big show in Fredericksburg in the sprint time, so we went, ‘Well, we need to do a big show here in Texas in the fall.”

Over the last decade and a half (with a break for covid), the VW Harvest has expanded so that between 300 and 400 classic Volkswagens rolling through Texas, starting with Saturday’s Hill Country scenic cruise before a Sunday packed with car appreciation, a swap meet, Twinkie eating contest, valve cover races, and more at Hutto’s Brushy Creek Amphitheater.

While so much of gear head culture seems to focus on muscle cars, the roar and the burnt rubber, those are weekend cars. There’s a different allure to the workhorse cars that defined mid-century driving and opened up car ownership to the masses: America’s Model T, the Morris Minor from Britain, the distinctive snail shell curves of the 2CV, and of course the VW Beetle. Alexander said, “People are always honking or waving, thumbs-upping. … You pull up at a gas station, someone’s always going to talk to you.”

Age isn’t a factor, either, Alexander said, “I teach sixth grade science and little kids love them because they look like a cartoon. [But] If it’s an older person, they’ll go, ‘Oh, I used to have one of those.’ I’ve had many an older lady say, ‘You know, I lost my virginity in one of those!’”

The crew works on this year’s raffle car Credit: Courtesy of VW Life

Alexander knows a thing or two about keeping VWs going. He estimates that since he bought his first VW (a brand new 1983 Rabbit GTI) he’s owned and driven roughly 100 Volkswagens, and he still drives either his ‘67 Beetle (nicknamed Old Spot) or his ‘65 bus (Jerry) just about every day. Unlike most classic cars, the VW can go anywhere, defying expectations about what it can handle. He said, “We go on a road in Big Bend called Old Ore Road, and it says ‘Exclusively four-wheel drive vehicles only,’ and it’s high clearance. We’ll go down there with six or eight buses, and the guys in their high-rising jeeps will look at us and they’re just in awe. They’ll stop and ask, ‘How did you get here?’ ‘We drove.’”

However, this isn’t just about loving these hardworking little cars. The VW Harvest is also a fundraiser for the Kiwanis Club of Silicon Hills, and so it relies on volunteers like Karl Holbert who explained that, unlike many car shows of its size, the Harvest is completely free. “You want to attend? Free. Showing your car? Free.”

For Alexander, it’s a particular point of pride that the event is so open to the community. “Some of these shows are $20, $30 just to register your car.”

The costs are covered through fees paid by the large number of vendor stalls that make up the on-site market, as well as through catering sales with all the food donated by Top Notch. The end result, Alexander said, is “the biggest fundraiser for the Kiwanis all year.”

There’s also the annual raffle, with the biggest prize being a Volkswagen lover’s dream: every year since 2017, volunteers have restored a classic VW to road worthy condition, and one lucky raffle winner gets to drive it home. Holbert, who is part of the restoration team, said, “This year, it’s a ‘59 Beetle, kind of a rat rod style. It’s a really good looking little car.”

It’s a massive endeavor, but Alexander is confident they’ll make it. “We’ve got two weeks,” he laughed.

After all, the whole point of those vintage VWs was that anyone with a little knowledge and a spanner set could keep one on the road. “You look at a modern car, and you can’t do anything,” Alexander said. “It’s all computerized. Nothing against that, but I’m not a developer. I don’t know what’s going on and where, what sensor’s bad.” By contrast, a classic VW “is gonna get you where you’re going. You’re not going to get there in a hurry, and chances are that you’re going to break down, but you should have the wherewithal and the parts and the knowledge base and the tools to fix it by the side of the road and get you where you’re going.”

Now that DIY engineering has become an act of preservation. Alexander recently found a Holy Grail vehicle for VW enthusiasts: a 1961 23-window Samba Bus, a rare variant of the famous Type 2 Deluxe Microbus that is immediately recognizable for its small sliding door, skylights, and wraparound rear windows. Even though it sat untouched in a field since 1971, “I hope to have it on the road by the Harvest.” He’s proud to pass that engineering knowledge and can-do spirit on to the next generation. After all, his son’s first car was a VW that Alexander helped restore “and 18 years later, he’s still driving it.”

The VW Harvest runs Sept. 24-25. For schedule and more info, visit vwharvest.wixsite.com/welcome.

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