Food and cars will take the spotlight on Saturday, July 26, when the annual Taste of Mount Joy Cruisin' Cuisine event takes place along Main Street from New Haven to Jacob streets. The festivities will run from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

For more than 20 years, various organizations have united to offer the event, which brings together representatives from the Mount Joy Rotary, Kiwanis Club of Norlanco-Rheems, Mount Joy Lions Club, Voyage Mount Joy and Friends of Donegal.

Part car show, part food fest, the event draws thousands of people to browse all classes of automobiles and motorcycles while indulging in the variety of local food Mount Joy offers.

"Come for the food," said Linda Eberly, a member of the organizing committee. "People enjoy the cars, of course, but this event also highlights our local restaurants. Mount Joy has everything from diners to taverns to ethnic foods. We have a huge variety of food in our town."

Prior to the show opening, the Kiwanis Club of Norlanco-Rheems will serve a free pancake breakfast at St. Marks's United Methodist Church, 37 E. Main St., from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m.

Food vendors will open at 11 a.m. at a food court area set up along Main and Delta streets.

Participants will include Two Cousin's, Florin Church of the Brethren, Mount Joy Lions Club, Mount Joy Church of God, Bube's Brewery, Mount Joy Rotary Club, Rita's of Mount Joy, Noel's Cafe, The Donut Guys, Harvey's Main Street BBQ and The TacoRV.

Restaurants along the Main Street show area will also be open during the day, including Beanie's, Joy's Tavern, The Copper Cup, Dutch Country Pretzels, Hulk Hoagies, YAH Brew, Tres Hermanos and Twisted Bine.

For the car show, more than 40 awards will be presented by various businesses, clubs and organizations. Major event sponsors are Kinley Auto Group and Marietta Notary. Gold sponsors are Members 1st Federal Credit Union and Liquid Wrap Labs. Numerous other businesses are also sponsoring the event, and the "Best of Show" award will be sponsored by the organizations coordinating the show. Four memorial awards will also be presented at an award ceremony that will take place at 1:30 p.m. at the event tent near Market Street. Although advance registration for the car show has closed, the first 250 registrants will receive a dash plaque featuring last year's Best of Show winner, a 1913 Paige Glenwood owned by Kelly Williams. People may also register their cars for an additional cost on the day of the show.

The Taste of Mount Joy offers an opportunity to highlight the community and provide financial support for the participating organizations, said Ferne Silberman, co-chair of the event.

"All of the groups who put this on are nonprofits, and they will get a certain amount of the funds," she said. "Everything left over will go to a community project yet to be determined. All of the funds go back locally. Kiwanis, Lions, Rotary, Voyage, Friends of Donegal, all of these groups, we put our proceeds right back into the community. This event is really a group effort to support Mount Joy."

Eberly noted that bringing the various service organizations together helps to increase the event's impact.

"We want to show the community that this is not just Kiwanis doing something or just Rotary or just the Lions," she said. "It's all of our community groups combined. We can do better together."

Silberman thanked the Mount Joy Borough officials for their support, noting that the event would not be possible without it. Other community supporters include JB Hostetter & Sons, which provides the tables and chairs in the food court area.

For the car show, all vehicles must enter the show via the Lancaster County Career & Technology Center off Route 772 and Old Market Street, where registration and packet pickup will take place. Parking will begin at 9 a.m. No cars will be permitted on Main Street in the main parking area before 9 a.m. or after 11 a.m. No dogs or bicycles are allowed with show vehicles. For more show information, visit http://www.voyagemountjoy.com/tasteofmountjoy.