33 Oldies Bands & Doo Wop Groups!
1,800 Vintage Cars from 22 States!
28th Annual LEAD EAST
Wednesday, Sept. 1 thru Sunday, Sept. 5, 2010
Parsippany NJ Hilton Hotel & Hampton Inn
Welcome to LEAD EAST 2010, an Oldies Music and Old Car Weekend unlike any event held anywhere. This is the 28th year for this cherished event. Over the years we've delivered a 100% American, 100% family, 100% fun series of events that celebrates the 50's decade. Tens of thousands of people have come to our event and many have told us it is the best, most fun, most nostalgic event they have ever attended! LEAD EAST is for 1972 and earlier vehicles — but it's not just a car show!
LEAD EAST is a giant 50's PARTY, offering more unique events than 15 normal car shows added together. If you dig the good old days of greased hair, tail fins, and 50's rock n' roll, have we got a PARTY for your entire family! Join us to relive and revisit the best decade in history. We GUARANTEE there is no other event remotely like this on the planet.
Most car events are done by 4:00 in the afternoon, but LEAD EAST rocks day and night, with some people dancing in the parking lot when the sun comes up!
LEAD EAST is renowned and unchallenged as THE BEST Oldies Nostalgia weekend anywhere! We offer an indoor and outdoor, day and night lineup of non-stop activities unmatched anywhere — Sock Hops, Drive-In Movies, Cruising, Jitterbug and Swing Dancing, Doo Wop A Cappella, Prom Night, and MORE!
WEDNESDAY NIGHT
Many people told us they wished the event lasted longer, so we’re starting it Wednesday afternoon September 1st. At night we’ll have a kickoff party with the rockin’ 5-piece band THE GREYHOUNDS performing in the Ballroom from 7:30 to 11:30 PM. As a courtesy to those people who are registered and staying at the Hilton and Hampton Inn Wednesday night, we will offer a VIP SIGN UP for the 2011 event starting at 7:30 PM. In this way those people will not have to wait until Friday morning at 10 AM to reserve their rooms and Plan A Parking Spots for the following year.
THE CARS
The word LEAD is a synonym for "customized car." We fill three adjacent parking lots with 1,800 classic 1972 and earlier cars, customs, lowriders, and street rods. Many are for sale. In 2009 it attracted 1,800 cars (honest count) from more than 20 states, as far as Canada, Florida and Wisconsin, because it offers activities and non-stop entertainment unlike any other "car show" or oldies concert.
If you love custom cars — a true American art form —year in and year out LEAD EAST gathers more leadsleds than any other event on the planet. This event was created 28 years ago to promote the custom car movement, and it has done just that. Many cars have been built and finished with LEAD EAST as the deadline, the event being an incentive for guys to start and complete their dream car. There are always a number of fresh, incredibly high quality customs on display at the event that we guarantee you have not seen.
REGISTER EARLY!
We'd love to see your car at LEAD EAST 2010! You can register your car at the show or pre-register in advance. Several years back participants told us they wanted to reserve their old car parking space in advance for an additional fee. We tried the concept and it has become so popular, virtually all of the Hilton-Hampton Inn lot is Reserved spaces,. The Kraft or “B” Lot was 2/3 Reserved in advance for 2009, and we would not be surprised if the entire B Lot was Reserved in advance for the 2010 event. You can reserve your spot when you Pre-Register. Click here for A and B Lot maps.
SUNDAY INCLUDES 1976 AND EARLIER CARS
While LEAD EAST is restricted to 1972 and earlier cars to keep it as a true “oldies" event, because we are all getting older and so are our cars, on Sunday, September 5th we will allow 1976 and earlier cars to enter the event as One Day Entries. They will park in the Diichi-Sankyo parking lots (formerly known as Deloite & Touche), but they will be allowed to cruise the entire events as all other entries do.
NOTE: A word to the wise! Because of the overwhelming growing popularity of Reserved Parking spaces in 2009 (about 66% of the B Lot spaces were reserved in advance), we suspect that ALL of the B Lot will be Reserved Parking spaces for 2010. Reserve your B space now, to be sure. As was the case in 2009, as a courtesy, Pre-Registered B people will be admitted to the event a few hours in advance of the non-pre-registered on-site B cars, on Friday.
THE VENUE
If you want to stay at the host hotel, The Parsippany NJ Hilton and Hampton Inn (two adjoining hotels in the center of the event), were both SOLD OUT with reservations for 2010 in September of 2009. However, there are always some cancellations and there is a waiting list for reservations, so put your name on this waiting list. Call 973-267-7373 Monday through Friday, 9 to 5, and ask for Reservations, then ask that your name be added to the Waiting List.
SHUTTLE BUS TO HANOVER MARRIOTT: We’re happy to report that the hotel across the street, the Hanover Marriott, will be operating a Free Shuttle bus from 9 AM to Midnight to the front gate of LEAD EAST for Marriott guests ONLY. There will be a portion of the Marriott parking lot designated for OLD CAR PARKING ONLY.
We hold the event at a first class Hilton Hotel with many air-conditioned indoor activities and exhibits, plus clean first class indoor restrooms. Outdoors, the cars and exhibits are on clean asphalt with grassy areas to set up your picnic chairs, etc. Mercury vapor lamps illuminate the car areas at night so you're never in the dark. If it should rain, there is no mud as all cars park on paved asphalt. The optimum way to enjoy LEAD EAST is to stay four or five nights at the Parsippany Hilton / Hampton Inn where the party happens. Since the Hilton / Hampton Inn is SOLD OUT, we strongly recommend the Hanover Marriott across the street because of the convenience of the Free Shuttle bus. This is the ONLY hotel offering a shuttle service, and it is for Marriott guests only. The Marriott takes credit card reservations. Call 973-538-8811 and be sure to mention LEAD EAST. There is a two-night minimum at the Marriott, but there is a multiple night discount for three or more night stays.
Food ranges from several restaurants and vendors inside the hotel to outdoor food vendors with a nice array of reasonably priced items. Many participants with old cars bring their own food and BBQ grills for the parking lot. The Hilton sells alcoholic beverages and beer in the hotel. Note: The police will not permit people riding in old cars inside the event to have an open container of alcohol!
THE MUSIC
In addition to playing recorded oldies and live Doo Wop over the P.A. system in the hotel parking lot, we have an outdoor stage for bands Friday night through Sunday, an indoor stage in the Hotel Ballroom providing live entertainment from Wednesday night though Sunday night, and a third stage in the Hotel Lobby Atrium area for Open Mike opportunities, plus 60's Karaoke from 4:00 PM Friday to 4:00 PM Sunday. Tune your radio to 87.9 FM for our low-power broadcast of our outdoor P.A. system. You can listen to it on your car radio!
We also offer a Prom Sunday night with a DJ and larger dance floor. More than 12 Doo Wop A Cappella Groups will be singing 5-part harmony in the Hotel Ballroom Saturday and Sunday afternoon, and three Oldies Concerts Friday, Saturday, and Sunday night feature name groups with hit records from the 1950's and early 60's.
“DOO WOP IDOL” RETURNS !
Because of the popularity of this event in 2009, “Doo Wop Idol” is back. On Saturday and Sunday afternoon, from 12:30 PM to 2:30 PM in the Lobby Atrium, we will let any single individual or group (amateurs only) that signs up get up on stage in the Lobby Atrium and sing one song in “Idol” competition. Judges will select one of those groups as that day’s winner and present them with a $300 cash prize! The winner will also earn the right to perform one song in that evening’s Oldies Concert on stage in front of the big audience in the Ballroom. Here’s a great opportunity for your group to perform onstage in front of an audience, and win! The regular hours of Open Mike and 50’s KARAOKE will take place the rest of the allotted time on Friday afternoon, Saturday and Sunday.
If that's not enough, we offer DJ The GOLDEN GUP for a Welcome Party Thursday night in the Ballroom, two Sock Hops with bands operating simultaneously Friday night, and bands onstage outdoors Saturday and Sunday afternoon! No other event we've ever seen has spontaneous Doo Wop groups singing a capella into the early hours in the bar or hotel lobby!
THE DANCING
We’re investigating having a dance exhibition team perform on Thursday night in the Ballroom (to be announced). If you love to dance, from Wednesday night on through the weekend, sometimes until sunrise, we provide a variety of venues, indoors and out, with both live and recorded music where you can beat your feet or glide around the asphalt like a would--be Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers.
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