AUTO WEEKENDER

The quiet riverfront of Wilmington, Del., will once again be the weekend home for Professor Ouch's Hot Rod Hoedown, an event that began as a simple car show but has evolved into a circus complete with sideshow antics, thousands of attendees and miles upon miles of vintage classic cars. For its sixth anniversary, the Hoedown is introducing an indoor showroom to house home-built and pro-built show cars. James Bond's ride from Live and Let Die and the Animal House Caddy will also be on display. Good news for tri-state tinkerers: Unfinished cars are just as welcome as their souped-up, kustom-detailed brethren. "We don't look down on people who don't have a finished car," says Ouch. "It's all about making it with what you have." Musicheads can kick it to live performances by punk and rockabilly maestros The Young Werewolves, Full Blown Cherry and The Coffin Lids or catch the Philly Roller Girls doing derby-dirty battle on another type of wheels. "There's no excuse for people not to show up and have fun," says Ouch. Considering local burlesque troupe Hell Kat's titillating shimmy-shakes planned for Saturday night, we don't anticipate that being a problem.

Hot Rod Hoedown and Rock-N-Roll Rumble, Fri.-Sun., Sept. 9-11, Kahunaville, 500 S. Madison St., Wilmington, Del., www.hotrodhoedown.com.