Carlisle 2015: Tent and Catering

[MM03MOK]

Received an email from Ken at Carlisle. I asked Ken for the size of tent we had last year. I told me we would like it 50% - 100% larger. Does that sound about right?

He made some suggestions for catering. Considering it's a short list for authorized caterers, we should jump on this ASAP to get the day and time you want.

After we decide the type of food we want, can I get a volunteer to price out the options? Check out the website links below.

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Hi Mary,

Hope all is well! Thanks for supporting this year’s show once again!

We can definitely make sure your club gets it’s “Marauder Mountain” spot back! That is easy!

As far as the tent, we can definitely look into upgrading it. I can’t 100% promise we can upgrade it without talking to the tent company we use and making sure it’s in-stock however what size were you thinking or what were your plans?

Also on catering, that is okay as long as it is one of our approved caterers due to Liability Insurance. We have two that are covered under our liability insurance and caterers must be covered under that to come in here. With that said no outside entity may come in outside the approved caterers or else we get in trouble from a liability standpoint.

The caterer I personally recommend is Marcellos of Carlisle. http://www.marcelloscarlisle.com/ They are setup in our food court and also have a restaurant just north of our Gate 5 Access Road. Alfredo who is their owner does a wonderful job with the catering and we use them for many of our own catering needs here. Alfredo can do sandwich platters, pasta, salads, and all types of different options. Alfredo can be contacted at 717-448-7280 and just tell him you would like to arrange catering for your club for the Ford Nationals.

The second caterer is Horner’s of Carlisle. http://www.hornerscornerbbq.com/ They are also setup on our grounds in the Food Court and near Building Y. They also have a restaurant just a mile north of our Gate 5 Access Road too. Brian who is their owner is also a great guy too and they handle some of our expo center needs. Horner’s basically does BBQ and like menu items. Brian can be reached at 717-576-4291 and just tell him you would like to arrange catering for your club for the Ford Nationals.

Any questions please let me know!

Thanks,

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Ken Appell | Event Manager (Carlisle Ford Nationals and Carlisle Performance & Style)
Email: KenA@CarlisleEvents.com
Office: 717-243-7855 x116
Fax: 717-960-6490

1000 Bryn Mawr Road, Carlisle PA 17013
CarlisleEvents.com | CarlisleAuctions.com

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[Ms. Denmark]

Thanks, Mary! Can we set this up on Eventbrite once we choose a caterer? Eric & I can go out to Carlisle this weekend to try the food out at both places if that would help. We can price it out as well. Anyone else want to meet us out there?

[Bluerauder]

Last year, we had a 30' by 20' tent (600 sqft) (see pics below). Getting a 40' by 20' tent (800 sqft) would be a little better. I don't think there are any larger tents available. The Red Mustang Registry had one of the larger tents last year but their numbers were clearly much higher than ours with 100+ registrations.

Personally, I prefer Horner's Corner BBQ for the Saturday afternoon lunch. This seems to be a more "traditional" picnic kind of lunch rather than Italian fare offered by Marcello's. More so if Italian is also planned again for Dinner on the same night. My company has used similar BBQ caterers (i.e. Famous Dave's or Dixie Bones in Virginia for its annual picnic) and the menu seems to appeal to a lot of people across all ages. I had recommended Horner's last June in a thread when this topic was first raised. Cost of $20 per head should provide a pretty good spread. If MM.Net can subsidize some of this cost that could reduce the cost to members. :)

http://www.mercurymarauder.net/gallery/data/500/medium/CarlisleTent0001.JPG

http://www.mercurymarauder.net/gallery/data/500/medium/CarlisleTent0002.JPG

http://www.mercurymarauder.net/gallery/data/500/medium/CarlisleTent0003.JPG

http://www.mercurymarauder.net/gallery/data/500/medium/CarlisleTent0004.JPG

This \/\/\/\/\/\/ is a 40' by 20' tent (notice the 3-peaks)

http://www.mercurymarauder.net/gallery/data/500/medium/CarlisleTent0005.JPG

Last year's post .....


Horner's Corner BBQ offers catering services and also has an on-site stand at the Carlisle Fairgrounds for the carshows. They offer the traditional BBQ ...

MEATS: Pulled Pork, Texas Style Beef Brisket, Smokehouse BBQ Chicken, BBQ Spare Ribs, St. Louis Pork Ribs, Smoked Salmon, Smoked Ham, Slow Roasted Prime Rib, Smoked Turkey, Charbroiled Sirloin Burgers with Cheese, Grilled Hot Dogs.

SIDES: Brown Sugar & Honey Baked Beans; Red Skinned Parsley Potatoes; German Potato Salad; Mac N Cheese; Baked Corn; Creamed Cucumbers; Dutch Potato Salad; Marinated Mushrooms, Tomatoes, and Onions; Tangy Coleslaw; Italian Pasta Salad; Macaroni Salad; Fruit Salad; Broccoli Salad.

LEVEL OF SERVICE: From serving staff to set-up, serve, and clean-up to simple pick-up or delivery service.

This might be an ideal choice if they will do an onsite catering deal for us on the Hill.

Horner's Corner BBQ website >>>>> http://www.hornerscornerbbq.com/

PRICES PER GUEST (minimum of 10) are $14.95 (1 meat), $15.95 (2 meats) or $16.95 (3 meats). Includes sauces, rolls, and 3 sides. Can add ribs at an extra $2.00 per guest, salmon at $2.50 per guest, or prime rib at $3.00 per guest.

$20.00 per head ought to provide a pretty good feast. Drinks are Extra. They can also add drinks (i.e. water, iced tea, lemonade, coffee and tea) for $2.00 per guest.

PHONE:
717.258.4BBQ

E-MAIL:
brian@hornerscornerbbq.com

[J-MAN]

When did catering the food at Carlisle start? How is it paid for as there are no fees for the event except for the entry fee that goes to Carlisle LLC. ?

[Bluerauder]

When did catering the food at Carlisle start? How is it paid for as there are no fees for the event except for the entry fee that goes to Carlisle LLC. ?

This ^^^^^^ is NOT a Carlisle sponsored catered lunch but is being considered by the MM.Net group for the first time this year as an alternative to the "Bring Some Food to Share Pot Luck BBQ". The possibility of having a catered Saturday lunch instead of the Pot Luck arrangement for the past several years was raised after last year's 2014 event. Caterers from the Carlisle Approved List, costs, and additional fees are still in the consideration mode and no decisions have been finalized at this point.

[Ms. Denmark]

Good info, Charlie. Sounds like we ( Eric & I) really don't need to make the trip out to Carlisle to check out the food this weekend. ( BBQ @ about $20/head sounds good to us.)

Maybe Mary can put up a poll for those attending to vote on which caterer the majority prefers? Then we'll go with that caterer? I think most past Carlisle attendees will agree that not having to bring in all kinds of food in coolers or not having people slaving over a hot grill instead of relaxing and enjoying the day, is a good thing.

[MM03MOK]

Here are the tent upgrade prices from Ken.
Last year you guys qualified for a 20’x30’. To upgrade to a larger tent here are the upgrade prices figuring that you hit the same qualifier as far as registrations go again this year:
20’x40’: $101.76
30’x30’: $244.72
30’x40’: $295.72

[Papillon]

Hey y'all! Long time no "see".

I agree with Charlie that BBQ is a better (and yummier :)) option over Italian.

I actually already inquired with Horners this past Sunday and have already heard back from Kathy on catering... just waiting to hear back on food options/based pricing.

I personally won't be able to do much at this years Carlisle as I am recovering from a recent broken knee. I think that a break from food-prep/food-lugging/cooking/grilling and excessive set-up will be a nice reprieve for everyone. We can all enjoy the show and each other instead of standing behind a hot grill.

After Paul and I hear back from Kathy we will post up food options and pricing and we can see what our best options will be.

[Blackened300a]

When did catering the food at Carlisle start? How is it paid for as there are no fees for the event except for the entry fee that goes to Carlisle LLC. ?

The way it would work would likely be that the members would pay one low price upon arrival to cover their meal and a wristband would be handed out. This way it keeps it fair and prevents people who choose to not to pay from taking advantage.

This is all in the early stages until we get a direct quote. Every year the members have been very generous with the food donations and we came up with catering for several reasons...

First off it would ultimately be cheaper for the members to pay one price and have a variety of food to choose from.
Secondly it saves people from having to sit over the grills for hours on end instead of actually eating and enjoying the show.
Third, its a easy clean up. We will have the catering company provide dishes and utensils so nobody has to purchase any of these items before hand and you can eat and go without having to worry about trays of food and leftovers sitting out after the show.
Lastly, its just more convenient then having to carry all the food items in our cars on the day of the show or have to run out the night before and go shopping. This way its all set up and prepared without any hassle.

If anyone would like to bring their own desserts, drinks. or food for the event, they of course are welcome to. We may have to provide drinks anyways since Its cheaper to run to the supermarket and pick up bottles of soda then having to pay for drinks on the fairgrounds or through the catering company.

[MM03MOK]

Thank you, Voula and Paul, for jumping right in. I like the idea of wrist bands. I know there were definitely passers-by last year that thought the food was available to the public. With a bigger tent, the table space is more flexible. And since I spent the better part of three hours on the grill last year (I had a bad cough for over a week!), along with Connie's hours of planning and set-up, having the meal catered makes great sense.

[NavySeabee]

Good info, Charlie. Sounds like we ( Eric & I) really don't need to make the trip out to Carlisle to check out the food this weekend. ( BBQ @ about $20/head sounds good to us.)


^^^^ BBQ! ^^^^

[J-MAN]

The way it would work would likely be that the members would pay one low price upon arrival to cover their meal and a wristband would be handed out. This way it keeps it fair and prevents people who choose to not to pay from taking advantage.

This is all in the early stages until we get a direct quote. Every year the members have been very generous with the food donations and we came up with catering for several reasons...

First off it would ultimately be cheaper for the members to pay one price and have a variety of food to choose from.
Secondly it saves people from having to sit over the grills for hours on end instead of actually eating and enjoying the show.
Third, its a easy clean up. We will have the catering company provide dishes and utensils so nobody has to purchase any of these items before hand and you can eat and go without having to worry about trays of food and leftovers sitting out after the show.
Lastly, its just more convenient then having to carry all the food items in our cars on the day of the show or have to run out the night before and go shopping. This way its all set up and prepared without any hassle.

If anyone would like to bring their own desserts, drinks. or food for the event, they of course are welcome to. We may have to provide drinks anyways since Its cheaper to run to the supermarket and pick up bottles of soda then having to pay for drinks on the fairgrounds or through the catering company.

Thanks Paul, this is really the answer that I was looking for and for the reasons given it certainly makes sense.

I was aware that Carlisle LLC doesn't provide free food. Really!

[05crownsport]

I just registered....albeit with the Saleen...but I put the club affiliation with mm.net! This catering thing sounds great! I'll bring snacks and water for us all to share.

[jsignorelli]

A side note about Famous Dave's and his BBQ. They use a very high level of MSG. My son is highly sensitive to MSG. We found out about Famous Dave's use of MSG in the emergency room.

Please ask the caterer if they use MSG as I don't want anyone finding out the hard way.

[MarauderJim]

I'm always impressed with the work that our members do to better our gatherings! I would support the BBQ option with the wrist bands. It sounds like a good food option and... Much less work for the few that have worked so diligently to add to the success of our gatherings.
I'm looking forward to June!

Jim.

[HammerDown]

Thank you, Voula and Paul, for jumping right in. I like the idea of wrist bands. I know there were definitely passers-by last year that thought the food was available to the public. With a bigger tent, the table space is more flexible. And since I spent the better part of three hours on the grill last year (I had a bad cough for over a week!), along with Connie's hours of planning and set-up, having the meal catered makes great sense.

The catering is a great idea--as I think all the other cooks that helped last year would agree. It's a win-win.!!

[WhatsUpDOHC]

Count me in on the food catering and contribution costs.

[Bluerauder]

Did the tent status ever get sorted out ?? Pre-registrations ought to be pretty firm since the closing of the "Gate & Go" about 10 days ago.

[MM03MOK]

Paul and I PM'd back and forth about it. With the drop in headcount and fewer tables, he determined we didn't need a larger tent. Great to know for future reference, though!!

[vkirkend]

Great ideas about the catering. It let's everyone enjoy the show. Also has anyone received their field passes yet?

[Bluerauder]

Also has anyone received their field passes yet?

They will probably start showing up next week after the 20th. Normally, they are mailed out about 2-3 weeks from the event.

[jsignorelli]

Did we get a decision on the catering? Do I send money or bring food?

Joanne & I are arriving Thursday afternoon, around 5:30 PM. Is anything going on then or should we just go out to dinner alone?

[Bluerauder]

Did we get a decision on the catering? Do I send money or bring food?

Joanne & I are arriving Thursday afternoon, around 5:30 PM. Is anything going on then or should we just go out to dinner alone?

From a recent post in the "Headcount" thread ...


Still up in the air. I'm leaning towards refreshments and snacks, drinks, etc and lunch on your own. Catering costs are making it not really worth it and it's always the same people stuck behind the grill and cleaning up afterwards that they would like to go out and enjoy the show for once.

Still working out the details!

I believe that Mr. Man/Ms. Denmark will be at the Central Hotel on Thursday. Check with them by PM.

[Ms. Denmark]

From a recent post in the "Headcount" thread ...



I believe that Mr. Man/Ms. Denmark will be at the Central Hotel on Thursday. Check with them by PM. Yes, that's the plan,Charlie. We usually head over to somewhere like Texas Road House on Thursday night with a group. Jim & Joanne (and anyone else who'll be around) are more than welcome. :)

[Blackened300a]

Alright here is the deal with the catering. Carlisle is very strict with who they will allow to bring food to the fair grounds. They limited us to 2 catering choices. The first choice was basically cold cuts and salads. The choices were very limited and didn't sound very appetizing. The second choice was a BBQ place which had a much wider selection. We are trying to get a accurate headcount based on the poll, hotel guests, and those who posted that they registered. We came out to around 65 people.
We contacted the BBQ place with a menu of 3 meats and 3 sides. The price came out to around $30 a person. That is way too much for a lunch so we modified the menu to fit the number of people and backed it down to traditional hamburgers and hotdogs with three sides. They agreed to deliver for a fee, that fee was $325 to bring the items to the showfield. Other option was to have someone drive out and pick up the food. I'm not sure how many people would wanna pack their car with numerous trays of food. I personally would not wanna do that especially since parking on the hill is at a premium.
It also came out to about $15 a person assuming that everyone is in and willing to pay to eat. If people do not wanna eat with us or eat on their own then it will end up being a waste money since it would be unfair to charge more all around to make up the costs. Also $15 gets you one hamburger, one hotdog and a scoop of the three sides. A family of 4 will set you back $60 for such a small amount of food. Personally that's not worth it when there are many other options out there on the showfield or within walking distance.

The second option is the usual BBQ at the tent. We would have to spree for grills and then ask for food donations which ends up being more food then we can eat or handle and creates a lot of waste. Also it's always the same people who donate food, same people who are stuck behind the grill and the same people cleaning up. They miss out on the entire Carlisle event because of their efforts. I feel they deserve a break this year and have a chance to experience all of Carlisle.

The third option that I'm leaning towards is having snacks and drinks at the tent. Chips, cake, cookies, drinks, etc and have people venture out and have lunch on their own while walking the fairgrounds. Then they can come back and have a drink or relax at the tent for a while on their own time. This is making the most sense at the moment so nobody is stuck on a time schedule or all crammed under the tent all at once. Plus easy clean up and nobody misses out on anything.

Saturday morning there will be a placard for you to fill out and place on your car for the mm.net in-voting car show. There will also be ballots for you to fill out and return to the ballot box at the tent by 1PM. The award ceremony and raffle will be at 3:30pm under the tent. The rest of the day is open for everyone to explore. We also have dash plaques for each car owner which will be handed out as members arrive.

Open to suggestions and ideas. We still have about 2 weeks to put everything together.

[Bluerauder]

I'm perfectly OK with Option # 3 based on your assessment above. Makes more sense.

Here's my plan for the drinks and snacks option, I will bring .....

Cooler with Ice
4 - 12 packs of soft drinks (mixed)
1 - Case of water
Chips and Cheese Curls

[HammerDown]

I vote Option 3--I'm ready to "chillax" at Carlisle this year:)

[vkirkend]

I like # 3, everyone can still enjoy the show lunch on your own will do.

[Ms. Denmark]

I'm fine with whichever option you choose. Lunch as a group at the tent has been a nice thing IMHO. If you decide to do the potluck you can count me in to help.

[jsignorelli]

Here are replies to several questions & topics:

Joanne and I love the Texas Road house. we will be at the hotel by 6:00 PM at the latest. We could go together.

Option # 3 seems to be the choice. I have a card at restaurant depot so I'll bring jumbo snacks and nuts in addition to the Sangria.

[Papillon]

I'm fine with whichever option you choose. Lunch as a group at the tent has been a nice thing IMHO. If you decide to do the potluck you can count me in to help.

I personally love the potluck "family" BBQ but Paul (and I) had to consider several things this year, the most major being my injury. Unfortunately he can't count on me for much of anything this year and we both decided that if we couldn't get the catering together we didn't want to put the responsibility of organizing the BBQ on to anyone else (meaning we'd want everyone to enjoy the show rather than be stuck running around, setting up, grilling up, cleaning up, etc). That's why the scale is leaning more towards option 3.

That being said, if anyone wants to take the lead this year for the potluck luncheon they are more than welcome to. Otherwise I'm sure we'll have plenty of snacks and drinks to go around and the company will be great as always.

[Ms. Denmark]

I completely understand, Voula. It is a lot of work. Too bad the catering didn't turn out like we had hoped, but option 3 is fine with me as well.

[Bigdogjim]

Im in for option # 4.:)

[jsignorelli]

Just as an FYI:

The Carlisle Show packet arrived in the mail today. It can't be long now!

[Bluerauder]

Just as an FYI:

The Carlisle Show packet arrived in the mail today. It can't be long now!

Good to know !!! I'll start looking for mine in the mail. :D MIne arrived on Friday, 15 May .... Blue Showfield, B384, #1511. The Taurus SHO is 2 rows away in Blue, B382, #1597.

[jimbok1951]

Great ideas about the catering. It let's everyone enjoy the show. Also has anyone received their field passes yet?

FYI
Got mine today

[Bigdogjim]

:director::cloud9::bows::beer: :woohoo::woohoo:

Oh I got mine today:banana2:

[WhatsUpDOHC]

Mine arrived today too. [emoji482]

[Black Terror]

Mine arrived today!!!

[Bigdogjim]

Are we doing a group dinner Saturday night??

[Blackened300a]

Are we doing a group dinner Saturday night??

I have no problem with that. Just I think we are done with the Italian restaurant that we used to use, the service was terrible and never improved.

Open to suggestions.

[Bigdogjim]

I vote we head to someplace that is big enough to serve us all:) (duh) might have to travel to get away from the crowds.

[Black Terror]

I vote we head to someplace that is big enough to serve us all:) (duh) might have to travel to get away from the crowds.
I would go for this.

[Blackened300a]

Working on it at the moment. Exploring local options.

[Bigdogjim]

Thanks!....................... ..............

[Bluerauder]

I have no problem with that. Just I think we are done with the Italian restaurant that we used to use, the service was terrible and never improved.

Open to suggestions.

To be honest, I don't think that there is a restaurant located in Carlisle that is prepared to handle a large crowd like we generate. Tables of 8-10 are about the reasonable limit. Carlisle is pretty laid back and they appear to get overwhelmed quite easily when we get to double digits. Seems that they would be better prepared to handle the large crowds generated by the car show crowds. My experience over 8 years says that they are not.

That said, I would not be totally against another outing to DaVinci's Italian. It is away from the main town traffic and has convenient parking. Food is good when they are not overcommitted.

Some other places that I would like to try are ......

1. 1794 Whisky Rebellion, 10 Hanover Street (American & Steakhouse)

2. Hoss's Steak & Sea House, 1151 Harrisburg Pike (Steakhouse)

3. Andalusia, 26 N. Hanover Street (Spanish)

4. Café Bruge, 16 N. Pitt Street (Belgian)

With the exception of Hoss's, all of these restaurants are in the downtown vicinity that might be impacted by the parade traffic on Saturday unless a later time (7:30-8:00 PM) is planned.

[HammerDown]

We would go with another try to DaVinci's OR try Hoss steakhouse
not sure about going into town of Carlisle--maybe not enough parking for a large crowd???

[Ms. Denmark]

It might work better just to let people decide where they want to go and make plans with those who want to go to the same place. Last year several people chose to make alternate plans vs. the group dinner, prolly based on proximity to their hotel etc. Speaking only for myself and The Man, we'll prolly choose somewhere in the greater Harrisburg area. Maybe even go back to The Lancaster Brewing Company. They made a killer Margarita. (not to take anything away from signorelli!) :D Just my 2 cents...