canceled the 2026 season at SteelStacks<\/a>, the show\u2019s longtime Bethlehem home. ArtsQuest cited ongoing construction in the PNC lot and around the Turn & Grind Shop, a 150-year-old former Bethlehem Steel building being converted into an arts venue, as well as safety concerns. The IronPigs stepped in to host the show within weeks.<\/p>\nTraffic moved smoothly through the morning. At the stadium\u2019s southeast exit, police and a traffic director funneled departing show cars out onto Union Boulevard as dozens of spectators lined both sides of the road to watch them roll out, a ritual familiar to regulars of the series. Rare and exotic vehicles were given prime space directly in front of the ballpark\u2019s main gates.<\/p>\n
A handful of vendors sold stickers, merchandise and automotive gadgets. Food options were thin: only one food vendor appeared to be operating, and the IronPigs\u2019 own concessions were closed. The team had said in advance that there wasn\u2019t enough time to turn the concessions around for the first event.<\/p>\n
For the Coca-Cola Park debut, organizers rolled out new procedures. They said the lots would not open before 7 a.m. for anyone other than vendors and sponsors, and they emphasized a focus on the \u201cquality of the event,\u201d warning that some vehicles might not be admitted to the main lots if they did not meet a minimum show standard, according to the event\u2019s Facebook page.<\/p>\n
That standard drew mixed reactions online ahead of the event, with some commenters welcoming the move to filter out everyday traffic and others questioning the criteria or hoping to still show off works in progress, the page\u2019s comments showed.<\/p>\n
Sam Jellinek, the IronPigs\u2019 manager of broadcasting and media relations, has said the team views itself as a community hub for events beyond baseball and described its role for the opener as primarily that of a venue host. He has said the IronPigs typically host one or two car events a year and that any deeper partnership with Cars & Coffee would depend on how the season goes.<\/p>\n
Cars & Coffee Lehigh Valley launched in 2013 at the Promenade Shops at Saucon Valley, founded by Dan Kendra and Dr. Johnny Chung, before outgrowing that home and moving to SteelStacks. The series drew more than 20,000 visitors across its spring and summer dates at the Bethlehem campus, according to ArtsQuest.<\/p>\n
For some, the show is a family outing. Brian and Annette Brensinger drove in from Bernville, in Berks County, with two restored 1965 Volkswagen buses \u2014 her 21-window Microbus and his double-cab pickup \u2014 and the friends they caravan with.<\/p>\n
![\"Brian](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/man-woman-volkswagen-buses-cars-coffee-allentown-1600x1200.webp\")
Brian and Annette Brensinger, of Bernville, with their restored 1965 Volkswagens at Coca-Cola Park in Allentown on Sunday. At left is Brian\u2019s double-cab pickup; at right, Annette\u2019s 21-window Microbus. (Jai Smith \/ Lehigh Daily)<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is the first time we\u2019ve been able to get to the show,\u201d Brian said.<\/p>\n
He said the couple did the work themselves, building the buses as \u201cresto-mods,\u201d restorations upgraded with modern engines, air-ride suspension and electric heated seats so the air-cooled vehicles can be driven comfortably and safely today. Annette said her husband handled the paint, bodywork and interior. Her bus, she said, was a 60th birthday present and carries an \u201cisland girl\u201d painted on the back, a nod to her childhood in Hawaii.<\/p>\n
Annette, who said she will turn 65 in January, offered a bit of advice with a laugh. \u201cI always tease him that what\u2019s his is mine and what\u2019s mine is mine,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Brian and Annette both said their favorite part of owning the buses is letting children climb inside.<\/p>\n
Brian, 63, a retired vocational school teacher who taught carpentry, said the hobby depends on younger fans as older enthusiasts age out, and that he likes showing kids \u201cwhat it\u2019s all about.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you have young children, get them involved,\u201d Annette said, warning that the old vehicles will disappear if the next generation isn\u2019t interested. \u201cLet the kids get in your cars and see the cars and enjoy them.\u201d<\/p>\n
Organizers have said additional Cars & Coffee dates are planned at Coca-Cola Park through the summer.<\/p>\n
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\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t![\"Jai](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/newheadshot2-e1723998834556-150x150.webp.webp\")
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Jai Smith is the founder and editor of Lehigh Daily, covering local government and community across Allentown, Bethlehem, and Easton. He built the site from scratch in June 2024 and runs it daily \u2014 reporting, photography, video, and development. A full-stack developer by trade, Jai has appeared on Lenfest panels on creator journalism and the evolving news landscape, participated in Knight Media Forum events, appeared on WHYY, and works with Free Press on state legislation to fund local news. He lives in Bethlehem with his family.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"ALLENTOWN, Pa \u00a0\u2014 Cars & Coffee Lehigh Valley filled the parking lots at Coca-Cola Park on Sunday morning,…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":208351,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[119,121,120],"class_list":["post-208350","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-allentown","tag-allentown","tag-allentown-headlines","tag-allentown-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/208350","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=208350"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/208350\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/208351"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=208350"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=208350"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=208350"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/cars-coffee-coca-cola-park-attendees-sports-cars-1600x1200.webp\")
Spectators take in the exostic\/sports cars on display at Coca-Cola Park on Sunday. (Jai Smith \/ Lehigh Daily)<\/p>\n