Hermann Blue Oval Rally, Hermann MO
I am writing about a small town in mid Missouri, Hermann. Hermann is the county seat of Gasconade County, established in 1842. It is near the center of the Missouri Rhineland and south of the Missouri River, with a population of nearly 2,000 people. It is also known as the “Rhineland Village” due to its strong German heritage.
Hermann has a strong agricultural base, but is predominantly known for its vineyards, which produce one-third of the Missouri wines. They host a vast variety of festivals throughout the year. One of the events hosted in Hermann is the Blue Oval Rally, a Ford Motor Company enthusiast-based club that hosts car shows in Missouri and Arkansas. What is unique about this club is that the club donates all the profits from the car show back to the town. It takes place on the main street of the town and wraps around the downtown area. They draw participants and spectators from all over the United States.
My husband and I are one of the original couples that formed the organization and live just across the river in Rhineland. My husband and I coordinate the event. Each founding couple hosts a car show in the community they live in and members of the organization help work the events.
The Midwest Blue Oval Club was formed in 2014 by a group of Ford enthusiasts with the sole purpose of putting on All-Ford events around America’s heartland and using the net proceeds of each show to benefit charities within the townships or cities where the events take place.
We are not professionals, just die-hard enthusiasts who want to gather mindlike people and their FoMoCo machinery for some fun and camaraderie, and to do something good within the communities who are kind enough to let us come play in their town.
Our organizations came together through a combination of Midwest Ford Fest members, River City Cruisers and key individuals who have been involved in a variety of automotive performance events. We collectively have thousands of hours of experience coordinating, planning and executing automotive events, which include shows and racing events. we are a registered 501(c)3 organization with the IRS.
In 202, the club donated $17,000 to various non-for-profit organizations, and almost $158,000 since its inception.
This year the Hermann show takes place August 22 & 23. We have many activities planned. Friday, we have a morning road rally, lunch at a local German Based business (The Wursthaus). The afternoon has 2 options, a cruise to a local automotive museum or hop on the Hermann Trolly and visit the local wineries and distilleries. Then we gather in the evening for dinner at a local pub known as sharp corner. Saturday morning bright and early the Blue Oval Crew get up and prepare the streets for the show participants and spectators. Our MC Al Rutherford (President of the Club) calls us all to the corner of Market and Schiller for presentation of our nation’s colors by the local VFW Post, playing of the National Anthem followed by honoring all our Veterans and serving members of our armed services. Each of them are presented with a challenge coin and plaque thanking them for their time and dedication to our country. One member of the group is presented with a Valor Quilt, hand made by Geri Howe, the secretary of the club and one of the event coordinators. After the show and the streets are given back to the town, participants are welcome to attend a free evening dinner that has been donated by local sponsors and prepared by Geri as well. We end the event with a pub crawl on the streets of the town, however if that is not your thing you can gather at the Vinchester Inn and play Bunco.
I know this is a lot of information, you can glean more information about our group, what we do and who the recipients of our donations from each show. There are photos, lists of events and would love for you to come and participate in the festivities and see how we give back to the communities we serve. We can be followed on Facebook or the internet under Midwest Blue Oval Club. These events are held annually, and we are already working on setting dates for 2026.
We would be honored to have you come and see what we do and participate in our festivities. Thank you for taking time to read about us and what we do. I know this is short noticed but I saw on Facebook where you are doing a series on Small Towns.
Sincerely,
Geri Howe
Midwest Blue Oval Club, Secretary
573-690-9755
howex2gmail.com
Other members of the team who you may contact:
Greg Howe – treasurer
Hermann Blue Oval Rally Coordinator
573-220-8658
howegl@gmail.com
Al Rutherford- Club President
Midwest Ford Fest Coordinator
816-522-4859
rutherforda65@gmail.com
