Howdy Webriders! Dr. VW here for this weeks installment of Foreign Fridays! With the summer halfway over, many of the show season’s events have come and gone. The VW Classic, several Good Guys events, etc, have had their day and their coverage. Very soon however, two of the best events of the summer are going to kick into high gear, with one already underway! I’m talking about two premiere aircooled VW events- Familienfest and the Type Three Invasion.

“The Invasion”

as it is known, is an event that takes place every two years strictly for type three aircooled VW owners. The type three is the orphaned child of aircooled VW’s, and is often as misunderstood as it is neglected. However, a proud owner of a T3 myself, I always fantasize about making a pilgrimage to the Invasion. The idea behind the invasion is to choose a small town somewhere in America, and invite all T3 owners to meet there for an exclusive, friendly get together between like-minded enthusiasts. Previous Invasion events have been hosted in Hershey Pennsylvania, Crater Lake Oregon, and Portland Oregon. This year, Ypsilanti Michigan is the chosen destination, with a camp-out, BBQ, Tech sessions and several cruises planned; as well as a donation event for charity. This year it was too far out of the way to attend, but the next event you can count on Dr. VW making an appearance!

A much closer, and more annual event- Familienfest 14- takes place on August 23rd, making it one of the last big events of the summer. This show and swap is one of the few that still takes place right on the grass, making it a very popular event! I was there last year, check out the gallery for my swap spot and some of the cars that made it to the show. This year, I plan to attend with my Squareback, now much prettier than it was last time!  Familienfest is a great show because it brings together local people. Unlike the VW classic and large events like Good Guys, Familienfest is still small enough to attract mainly local San Diegan’s, helping people network and make friends with people who not only share their interests, but also live close enough to lend a hand every now and then. It’s a unique experience that is seldom found at many auto events, and a very cool experience.

Well Webriders, thats all for this week! But if you want to attend Familienfest be sure to buy your ticket in advance! Information can be found here. This is Dr. VW- signing off.