September 11, 2020

Face masks, six-foot distancing, Zoom and elbow bumps: In some ways, Cape Cod’s summer season at cultural destinations has been topsy-turvy, with many events re-thought or restructured due to the unpredictability of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Despite changes, programs and activities have continued at Heritage Museums & Gardens, which last week announced a season extension to Oct. 18. And Saturday brings the return of a popular annual event at the Sandwich venue, albeit with some different features.

This year’s “Celebration of American Automobiles” downsizes some of the usual gatherings, while keeping cars front and center, according to Anne Scott-Putney, president and CEO at Heritage. The big outdoor auto display, which usually attracts 60 to 70 visiting vehicles, has been canceled due to limits on the size of public gatherings, but from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, visitors can enjoy other less-centralized activities, she says.

The “From Carriage to Classic: How Automobiles Transformed America” exhibit is set inside the J.K. Lilly Automobile Gallery, and hoods will be open Saturday on many classic vehicles, with car-knowledgeable Heritage volunteers on site to answer visitors’ car questions.

It’s “all that geeky car stuff people love to talk about,” says Scott-Putney, who explains that limited-capacity guidelines will allow for smaller, less formal groups inside the huge auto barn.

Outside, members of the Bay State Corvair Club will show off an unusual selection of the famous compact cars, in honor of the Chevy Corvair’s 60th anniversary. Visitors will also see several cars from the vintage Heritage auto collection being driven around the grounds, “exercising their motors” and displaying the classic lines.