Nearly 100 VW buses attend annual festival

Thursday, 20 October 2011 by Matthew Girard

A Volkswagen bus enthusiast talks about his bus, the “Rat Patrol,” during the Eighth Annual Larry Parrott Memorial Transporters at the Point Festival at Morgan’s Point Resort’s Oakmont Park last Saturday. The festival raised more than $7,200 for the Morgan’s Point Police Department.MORGAN'S POINT RESORT — Volkswagen bus lovers from all over the South descended upon Morgan's Point Resort this past weekend for the Eighth Annual Larry Parrott Memorial Transporters at the Point festival to help raise money for the Morgan's Point Police Department.

"It means the world to me that I have so many friends that come up and support our community here in Morgan's Point," event organizer Paul Smith said.

In all, nearly 100 Volkswagen buses from Texas, Arkansas, Oklahoma and Louisiana made the trip to enjoy a weekend of camping and fun at Morgan's Point's Oakmont Park.

From brightly painted buses to buses that looked as if they were on their last trip to tricked-out buses, the park was filled with laughter, friendship and all around fun.

"For us, it's all about camaraderie," said bus enthusiast Andy Barnes, who made the trip from Poteau, Okla. "We've got to know these people at different Volkswagen events and the bus people are the best."

Smith said the Volkswagen bus is special because it was the original mini-van.

"A lot of people like the freedom it gives them," Smith said. "A lot of people still have the connotation that we are a bunch of 'hippies,' but we had doctors, lawyers, dentists and everything in between. It's just a great group of people."

Along with the camping, the festival included the annual barbeque dinner on Saturday, the Sunday morning breakfast provided by P.O.S.T. and the annual Allen, Beverly and Kenny Flentoe Memorial Cruise to Moody on Saturday morning.

"We had about 30 vehicles on the cruise and we totally packed the French Quarter (in Moody)," Smith said. "They (the residents of Moody) enjoyed it and we appreciate them doing that for us."

Throughout the years, the VW bus festival has raised more than $25,000 for the Morgan's Point Police Department. This year, the group raised more than $7,200.

"It's really easy to give when Paul is involved," Barnes said. "It's just awesome to hang out with these people."

For more information about the annual festival, contact Paul Smith at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

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