Need a Lift? Cars as Far as the Eye Could See

Waveny Park was bursting at the seams on Sunday with more than 1300 sports and antique cars, and other vehicles, plus thousands of enthusiasts, filling the park’s roads and lawns.

The reason: Caffeine & Carburetors (C&C), the brainchild of local coffee impresario Doug Zumbach, was holding its second of two events in 2025, this time in Waveny Park.

**Show cars arrived early, with a line stretching to the main entrance of Waveny Park and beyond. Photo by John Kriz.**

On a spectacular, sunshine-filled autumn day, C&C lived up to its reputation as one of the major automobile enthusiast events on the East Coast, and a New Canaan cultural staple.

“The whole event is a fundraiser,” said Doug Zumbach about Sunday’s show. People seeking to display their cars were asked for a $20 donation, with 100% of those donations devoted to the Waveny Park Conservancy https://wavenyparkconservancy.org. Last October’s C&C raised about $24,000 for the Conservancy, recalled Mr. Zumbach, and he think that might be surpassed this year.

**Spilling out on to Waveny Park’s Great Lawn were cars both lovingly restored and in need of a little love (that VW Beetle).**

“I want to thank everyone who attended,” continued Mr. Zumbach. “We had individuals from Maryland. We had individuals from Pennsylvania, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, as well as Westchester County, Fairfield County.” Furthermore, “I hope the residents [of New Canaan] love the event. It seems that they do. They attend it with grandma, grandpa, kids, dogs. It seems to be an automotive/family kind of style event.”

Mr. Zumbach also thanked all the public safety and municipal groups in town who made Caffeine & Carburetors possible: Police, fire, EMS, CERT, Public Works. “All had their contribution to the event’s success.”