September 7-8, 2018
In July of 2015, a group of local businesses joined together to create a fun, family-friendly, free event in the heart of Shreveport. The goal was to provide a venue for children to expand their minds and explore vehicles of all sizes, while raising money for a local nonprofit. Each year, Betty Virginia Park is transformed into a world of big rigs, where kids can climb and explore bulldozers, fire trucks, tanks, earth movers, tanks, busses, and more. Other activities for children include a gymnastics course, photo booths, meet and greet with fairies and superheroes, and a fire safety demonstration.
In its third year, Wheels in the Hills added a Friday night preview party, which featured live music, concessions, and a chance for everyone to get an early glimpse of the featured vehicles. For its fourth year, the festival will partner with Pathways in Education with a Wing Cookoff. The event will feature local restaurants and amateurs competing for a grand prize, while patrons can sample and vote for their favorite. The event will end with a showing of the movie “Cars”, provided by SPAR’s “Movies & Moonbeams” program.
In 2015 and 2016, funds raised provided school supplies for children at Shreveport’s Providence House. In 2017, a donation was made to the Food Bank of Northwest Louisiana, which feeds underprivileged children throughout the year. In 2018, the nonprofit partner will be Pathways in Education, with funds raised being donated to the group’s anti-bullying initiatives.
Photos from Wheels in the Hills
