WYANDOTTE — The City of Festivals is living up to its name.

Although some of the ethnic festivals Wyandotte was famous for have waned over the years, summertime and early fall remain popular for a variety of outdoor happenings. Now, one more can be added to the list.

The Wyandotte Jaycees and the Roosevelt High School Alumni Football Club have teamed up for the Wyandotte Classic Car Show and Music Fest scheduled for Sept. 23 in conjunction with Wyandotte Heritage Days and the Rotary Vintage APBA Boat Race.

The City Council has given its tentative approval for the event, contingent on the organizers meeting conditions set forth by various city departments.

Rich Cieslowski said the idea was the brainchild of the Wyandotte Jaycees, whose members approached the Alumni Football Club about joining together in a collaborative effort to put on such a large event.

Cieslowski and Nick Bader of the Alumni Football Club serve as co-chairmen of the event. As a longtime member of the Wyandotte Jaycees, Cieslowski is no stranger to putting on large events, but this one presented some unique challenges.

"We (the Jaycees) are used to doing projects that we've done time and again, like the haunted house," Cieslowski said. "This is a first-time thing. We've never pulled off such a big event."

Combined with Heritage Days and the boat races, the larger event is being called the Wyandotte Vintage Fest Weekend.

The Wyandotte Classic Car Show and Music Fest will encompass approximately the same area as the Wyandotte Street Art Fair, using Biddle Avenue from Eureka to Oak, First Street from Oak to Maple, Elm Street from the CVS/pharmacy entrance to the alley east of Biddle, Maple Street from Second to Biddle, and Sycamore from Second to Biddle.

Cieslowski said he originally envisioned holding the Classic Car Show and Music Fest as a "warm-up event" one week prior to Cruisin' Downriver, which is held in June along Fort Street, as a way of tying in with the popular event. But it was decided that combining it with the other city fall festivals would be a better fit.

"Heritage Days had moved its dates to coincide with the Rotary boat races," Cieslowski said. "The Vintage Fest is all about nostalgia. It will be a nice family weekend that will encompass a major portion of downtown."

The newest event is expected to feature hundreds of classic cars, a children's play zone, customization and nostalgia expo, musical entertainment and food. No alcohol will be served.

More information can be found about the Wyandotte Vintage Fest at the city's Web site www.Wyandotte.net or at the Jaycees site www.wyandottejaycees.org.