Archer Bernardin, 8 from Darmstadt is pumping his fist asking drivers to honk their horns.
Along with family, he’s watching the exodus of street rods of many shapes and colors from the 2025 Frog Follies Event in Vanderburgh County, hosted by the E’ville Iron Street Rods.
The weekend capped with the award ceremony, after which a winding parade of idling classics rumbled through the County 4H Fairgrounds, the smell of car exhaust in the air.
This year's event ran from August 22nd through the 24th. There’s a parade of hot rods, parts swap meet, a real-time hot rod build and of course the actual frog races where the event gets its name.
This is the 50th year of the Frog Follies. As the event grew, E’ville Iron Street Rods began donating to local charitable organizations.
Since 1984, Evansville Easterseals has received more than $1.7 million from these events alone.
Pam Kirk with the Easterseals said Frog Follies have provided countless low or no-cost therapy sessions for kids and adults.
“For people who couldn't otherwise afford them — physical, occupational and speech therapies, audiology services, psychology testing and counseling for local kids and adults with disabilities,” she said. “They've also been very generous in some special campaigns we've had through the years to make improvements in the building and things like that.”
This year they made $7,000 alone in a half-pot raffle.
It’s also this charitable giving that attracts longtime attendees like Evansville resident Scott Parsons who is driving his 1947 dodge panel truck on a 1978 Chevrolet four wheel drive pickup truck frame.
“It was a yard ornament for a lot of years, but now it's driving, so we love it,” he said.
The truck’s unfinished and patchwork appearance is part of its charm. Parsons is seated beside his friend Rob Locke who welded the necessary patches.
Parson said they’ve been coming for “years, years and years," he said. "With multiple different cars — this is the most fun. I've been here 15 years in a row and never seen one like it.”
Easterseals is the largest benefactor of the Frog Follies. The second largest is Wendell Foster of Owensboro, known for supporting people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
E’ville Iron Street Rods estimate more than $2 million has been donated to charity since 1984. However, the organization is private about how much is raised and distributed every year, according to past president Rob Hill.
Officially he said there were 3,024 registered participants. He thinks attendance benefitted from celebrating that 50-year milestone during ideal summer weather. He said in recent years, attendance is closer to 2,600. His organization doesn’t estimate crowd sizes, but with 500 vendors, he guesses it could be over 10,000 for the weekend.
In 2025 there were visitors from Australia, New Zealand and Ireland.
As the line of vehicles begins to thin, Mark May of Owensboro pulls the registration tags from his blue and silver 1936 Ford Sedan.
“You're looking at something that is 89 years old. Be 90 years old coming up,” he said. “But I've been coming to this Frog Follies thing for many, many years; probably about my fourth or fifth vehicle worked with.”
He appreciates the charitable donations as well. May is touching on why the Follies have enjoyed such longevity — Kirk said the E’Ville Iron Street Rods make it fun for volunteers and vendors alike. And participants feel good about event profits being put to good use.
The 2026 event is scheduled for August 28th, 29th and 30th 2026.
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