LET'S ASSUME THAT you have never attended a van event before,
and have just now found our source for vanning here at vanning.com. You just purchased a van yourself , and after reading the posts , think that you would like to go to a van event and check it out. What would it be like ?

Here is a very brief idea of what it might seem like to you.. for this example I use information from my most recent van event, PROVANITY 28, which was held last weekend in Weedsport NY... It takes place at the Cayuga County Fairgrounds, which is easily accessed from the NY Thruway.
You arrive at the gate and are greeted warmly by some of the members of the host club. You will have to pay here, the fee for gate entry is usually around $40.00. You will discover that this indeed is a bargain as it allows you to camp there all weekend, enjoy the games and bands, visit the vendors, and most importantly meet other vanners who will be pleased to see you and guide you thru the event..You will receive a dash plaque (a colorful business card sized replica of the event logo) , an event schedule to advise you of what and where and when different things take place....Find a parking spot that you like and if you need to plug in anything like patio lights you may be lucky enought to find a outlet nearby..These are a first come- first served item and may not be available at the site you choose....

After you park you may want to start walking around a little and start to meet some of the vanners. Don't be shy, vanners as a group are very friendly and you only have to introduce yourself to a few of them... You will soon meet many more! From the time you arrive there will be activities going on...Each night there will be a live band playing, and even if you find that there are not that many people at the band itself, rest assured that there are many more folks enjoying the music from other areas. Some will be "hanging out" at the food vendor, or looking at items and services that the other vendors have available..At the club booth you will be able to buy ice, raffle tickets, and event souveniers. Every event that you attend will have a theme... This particular time it is "A Star Spangled Truck-in" and this will explain the many flags and patriotic displays you have notices as you walk around....Many of the vanners belong to a club similar to the one that is hosting this event.. that is : Salt City Vans, a well known van club from the Syracuse area...and as the number 28 indicates, they have been holding these events for many years....Sometimes these events are called Truck-ins.. (In the early days many vanners referred to their vehicles as trucks) although most now prefer the real name- VANS.. others will refer to these events as eVANts, van jams, runs, or rallies, it's all the same thing........

All weekend long you can watch or participate in many games that are held both in the adult and childrens catagory... You will want to take a long time ( and perhaps many photos) at the van show which is held in the show area as noted on your event schedule...As dusk arrives they will line up again for the night light show- something that can be a very colorful display, and these shows may very well get you thinking about how you can "Trick-out" your own van...

But before you know it the weekend will be over... Sunday morning will see the vanners packing up their gear, loading the vans, and after the morning awards ceremony is over, and you have enjoyed the free coffee and donuts provided by the host clubs, you can shake hands with some of your new-found vanner friends and prepare to leave.. Don't forget to take those flyers you have picked up over the weekend because you will find many of the same people in a few weeks at another location ..... And you will soon be able to refer to yourself as not just a van-owner, but a "Vanner"......

TIETIS..(Truck it easy-truck -it safe)


Knighty