When organizers of the Newtown Car Show began working on this year’s event, they decided to plan for 250 cars. When the first public announcement of the show was made in January, registration was nearly full.

“We attend a lot of car events all over the country, and many shows struggle getting to critical mass,” said Chris Sferruzzo of Newtown, one of the show organizers. “Our show, after five years, has grown exponentially every year. We have an incredible network and reputation for running a show with high quality cars and people.”

The 2015 Newtown Car Show will be Saturday, June 20, from 10 am until 4 pm, in the parking lot of Stop & Shop, 228 South Main Street. Rain date is Saturday, June 27.

A real who’s who of supercars and classics will be rolling into Sand Hill Plaza for this year’s event. Among the notables are Porsches (918, 911, GT3 RS 4.0, Speedster, 918 Spyder edition 911, and Carrera GT), a McLaren P1, Lamborghinis (including Aventador, Murcielago, Murcielago SV, Gallardo, Superleggera, Squadra Corse, Diablo and Countach), six Ford GTs, 20 Dodge Vipers, Challengers and Chargers, a Mercedes SLS, and an Aston Martin DBS.

Mr Sferruzzo confirms that two of the car world’s biggest celebrities will also be in attendance.

“The $5 million La Ferrari Pagani will be there, and the Enzo Ferrari will be there,” he said June 15. “The most common question we get is ‘Will those cars be there?’ and I can confidently answer Yes, yes they will be there this weekend.”

Jugglers and fire eaters will offer performances, and face painters will have tables set up. DJ John Voket will serve as the day’s emcee, and The Big Beat will be performing a few sets of classics and oldies.

Organizers are expecting upward of 2,500 attendees this year. Due to this, additional spectator parking has been secured at Middle Gate School, 12 Cold Spring Road. A shuttle bus will be running, transporting spectators to and from the event.

Mr Sferruzzo is being joined by Rich Marcuccio, manager of Newtown Stop & Shop, in organizing the 2015 event. This year The Moms Club of Newtown has also partnered with the men and others to put everything in place for this weekend.

“All of the things car guys can’t do, we figured there was nothing better than an arsenal of moms helping us,” Mr Sferruzzo said with a laugh. “They have taken care of so much for us.”

Admission to the show is free.

“There is no spectator fee or parking fee, which is unlike any other car show of this scale,” Mr Sferruzzo said this week. “Typically when you go to see these cars, you’re paying a few dollars.”

Instead, attendees are being asked to make a donation to FAITH Food Pantry, the nonecumenical food pantry set up at St John’s Episcopal Church in Sandy Hook. Attendees can make a financial donation for the pantry, or participate in “voting” for cars, which will be up for any of three large trophies to be earned through food donations.

By placing cans or boxes of food into boxes that will be set up next to vehicles, attendees will be voting for Best in Show 1989 & Older Voter’s Choice, Best in Show 1989 & Newer Voter’s Choice and Best in Show Supercar Voter’s Choice honors. Large trophies denoting these winners will be presented at 2 pm.

During the course of the show, trophies will also be announced for 11 additional honors: Police Explorers Choice awards from Easton, Fairfield, Hartford, and Waterbury groups; PTA President’s Choice, The Kindness Dream Ride Choice, Mom’s Club of Newtown Choice, Newtown Kindness Choice, Newtown Police Cadets Choice, Stop & Shop of Newtown Choice, and FAITH Food Pantry Choice.

In addition, a brand-new Cadet ride-on mower valued at $1,700 is being raffled as part of the event. Tickets are $5 and on sale at Newtown Stop & Shop. Very few tickets remained at the beginning of this week, but any tickets still available will be sold on Saturday. The drawing is scheduled for 3:15, and will follow the second of two planned fire eater performances (planned for 11:30 am and 2:30 pm).

Also already ongoing is an opportunity to donate pallets of goods.

“Donating a pallet — available in $250, $500, and $1,000 valuations — ensures that the pantries get nutritionally balanced items that they can retrieve from Stop & Shop at the appropriate time to feed the many hungry families in Newtown and nearby communities,” explained Nancy Taylor, a representative of FAITH Food Pantry. Some of the event sponsors, drivers, and kindness winners have starting running their own food drives and raising funds.

Thanks to all of this, donations have already surpassed last year’s record-setting accomplishments, according to Ms Taylor. The 2014 show raised more than $1,300 in cash donations for FAITH Food Pantry, along with nearly $9,000 worth of donated goods.

Mr Sferruzzo said this week 12 of the $1,000 pallets have already been purchased by donors.

“I’m hoping we raise $25,000 [in goods or donations] this year,” Mr Sferruzzo said. “I think we’re going to get there.”

FAITH Food Pantry volunteers plan to share proceeds with Monroe Food Pantry and Newtown’s Salvation Army Food Pantry.

Kindness Dream Ride

New this year is The Kindness Dream Ride (KDR), which has ballooned to 150 cars.

While 100 vehicles will go directly to Sand Hill Plaza for the car show’s 10 am start, the others will be heading to Newtown High School to begin their day. The latter group will depart from the high school for the KDR at 10 am.

Approximately 100 winners have been selected from Newtown public and private schools to ride in the exotic cars. The students, each of who receive a KDR T-shirt and a medal, are being rewarded for acts of kindness they have done in recent months.

“We’ve heard about some incredible things,” Mr Sferruzzo said. “Some of the stuff that’s going on is unbelievable.”

Children have, according to Mr Sferruzzo, raised money at Build-A-Bear so that more than 30 bears could be donated to Boston Children’s Hospital, made blankets for babies in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), collected stuffed animals for Doctors Without Borders, and raised funds to purchase a service dog for a 6-year-old child with type 1 diabetes, among other things.

“Eight and 9 years old, and they’re already making a difference in people’s lives,” said Mr Sferruzzo.

In addition, the KDR will also include a number of Special Olympics athletes and a few children who are facing hardships, according to Mr Sferruzzo, “children whose siblings or parents are facing cancer, for instance,” he said.

The parade route will leave the high school and turn left, traveling north on Berkshire Road and then Washington Avenue. The vehicles will then turn left, to travel the full length of Church Hill Road. At the flagpole, they will again turn left, to follow Main Street and then South Main Street straight through to Sand Hill Plaza.

The police-escorted Kindness Dream Ride will be led by red, white, and blue Ford GTs and will include Ferraris, McLarens, Maseratis, Lamborghinis, a Dodge Viper, a Nissan GTR, Corvette, and marquee cars including the La Ferrari, Enzo, Ferrari Speciale A, SSC Aero, and Pagani Huayra.

Botsford Fire Rescue will be sending one of its trucks as an escort vehicle, and firefighters are also planning to be at the show, Mr Sferruzzo added. The full group is expected to be fully within Sand Hill Plaza by 10:45, joining the vehicles already on display for the remainder of the day.

Black and white checkered flags are being be handed out at Stop & Shop. Residents are encouraged to stand along the route Saturday morning, and wave to the parade of cars and participants in the Kindness Dream Rides.

Once the KDR arrives at Sand Hill Plaza, Police Explorers will be waiting to open the doors for the children, who will walk on one of three red carpets from the vehicle they just rode in to a VIP tent. There, they will enjoy a pizza party being thrown for them by Hagerty Insurance.

KDR Sign Contest

One more way the public can participate in the Newtown Car Show is to create a banner to display along the KDR parade route.

All are invited to make a flag, sign, or banner to be posted along the route.

“Put the banner along the route so that they can be seen and judged on Saturday,” said Mr Sferruzzo. Signs can be put in place on Friday, June 19; they just need to be posted by the time the KDR passes them.

One grand prize of a $100 prepaid American Express gift card and a $100 Barnwood Grill gift card will be given away. The winner will be contacted within a week of the show date.

For additional information send e-mail to newtowncarshow@gmail.com.

Visit Newtown Car Show on Facebook for updates including photos, or on Twitter at @newtowncarshow. For those interested in participating, send an e-mail to organizers.

Alongside the Ferrari trailer is a Ferrari F12 and Ferrari Speciale, both among the vehicles registered for the 2015 Newtown Car Show.

A Pagani Huayra is among the vehicles registered for the 2015 Newtown Car Show, taking place Saturday, June 20, at Sand Hill Plaza.

This vehicle, La Ferrari, is one of the marquee cars that will be at Newtown Car Show on Saturday, June 20. A field of 250 cars will be on view at Sand Hill Plaza, although 150 will begin their day by participating in the Kindness Dream Ride, which will carry schoolchildren from Newtown High School to the event. The show will double as a fundraiser for FAITH Food Pantry.

A line of Lamborghinis being led by a Lamborghini Murcielago. “This photo most represents what spectators can expect to see along the Kindness Dream Ride route,” said Newtown Car Show co-organizer Chris Sferruzzo.