Palos Park again will host its own version of the legendary street race Motogiro d’Italia to showcase the beauty of automobiles as a kickoff to Love the Park, the third annual fine arts fair May 19-20 at the Village Green on 123rd Street.

“Art and the Automobile,” the theme of the first day of the fair, will begin with Motogiro d’Palos Park, a morning parade of 30-plus vehicles from the Metra station to the Village Green that has spawned encampments of mimosa-sipping onlookers.

The fair featuring works by Midwest artists, many local, continues May 20 with a theme of “Art and the Family,” with chalk art, mural and face painting and art-making activities.

Art themselves, the automobiles have become a highlight of the weekend.

“The event is building significant momentum from year to year,” said Palos Park Mayor John Mahoney, who led the 2017 Motogiro d’Palos Park. “I can’t wait to see how the fans react to this year’s event.”

The Motogiro “adds to the artistry of the car,” said event creator and coordinator Daniel McCarthy.

“We will simulate the old-world Italian traditional race and have cars spaced two minutes apart and give flyers to bystanders so they can have the opportunity to learn about what’s coming and hear it and smell it,” McCarthy said. “A Ferrari sound is far different than an Alfa Romeo, and it’s a way to experience their tactile art, their smoke and noises, as they pass.”

Following the Motogiro to the Village Green, the automobiles will be positioned among the artwork all day, with owners on hand to discuss their design and history.

“Every time you go to a car show, you have hundreds of cars lined up, and they all blend together. My idea is to host cars as art,” McCarthy said. “Instead of having, say, 15 Corvettes, we’ll have one Corvette on display among the artists so you can view the car by itself and take in all the finer details and creation of that car.”

“There is nothing like it, which is what makes it so special,” said John Doolin, director of advertising, marketing and special events at Bettenhausen Maserati in Tinley Park, the event sponsor all three years. “We at Bettenhausen take part in a multitude of car shows and cruise nights across the Southland. However, ‘Art and the Automobile’ combines art and classic Italian vehicles which are themselves works of art. Events like Motogiro d’Palos Park give us an opportunity to show a new generation of car collectors classics in the making in our Alfa Romeo, FIAT and Maserati brands.”

McCarthy, a Palos Park resident, funeral director and former motorcycle racer who collects vintage bikes and cars, said he was inspired to stage the event by the design behind classic vehicles along with the village’s own history as a community for artists.

For instance, John T. McCutcheon, the Pulitzer Prize-winning political cartoonist for the Chicago Tribune in the early to mid-1900s, created his recurring feature “Injun Summer” on the very grounds of the house McCarthy lives in today, he said.

Village staff, McCarthy said, seemed a bit skeptical of the idea of automobiles as art the first year, when the theme of British sports cars attracted Austin Healeys, Aston Martins, Bentleys and Jaguars.

“Then the mayor said for two weeks after their phone was ringing off the hook and people loved it,” he said. “For the second year, people were out there having Champagne breakfasts.”

Mahoney added, “When Dan first approached us, it was tough to envision the experience. But the cars are truly special, and the owners are one of a kind. Spending time with the cars and the owners was an outstanding experience for me.”

The 2017 event called for pre-1939 vehicles. This year’s theme, “Cars of the People,” so far has attracted Maseratis, Porsches, Jaguars, Ferraris, Fiats, Pontiac GTOs and possibly a Dodge Demon.

“The classic Italian vehicles to be showcased are owned and maintained by a wide variety of people. Some of these vehicles have been passed down from generation to generation,” Doolin said. “Some people invest in their 401(k), stocks, bonds, real estate or art. Car enthusiasts invest in classic cars.”

Organizers hope the event might inspire the next automobile designer or collector, yet overall they simply aim to showcase another kind of art.

“Dreaming of owning something even if you can’t afford it is as American as apple pie, baseball and the lottery,” Doolin said. “To be able to see all these classic vehicles surrounded by beautiful works of art all in one place is a day well spent.”

Vickie Snow Jurkowski is a freelancer for the Daily Southtown.