The ZFest returns this year with a lunch date in downtown Greer. Trade Street will be partially closed Saturday to accommodate the caravan of BMW Zs and their drivers who will shop and eat in downtown Greer.
Drivers of BMW Z roadsters will be coming to lunch on Saturday as part of the ZFest 2012 itinerary. The upper part of Trade Street to Poinsett will be closed from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. to accommodate the caravan of roadsters that will park to eat and shop.
Perry Williams helped organize the impromptu lunch last year that proved to be successful for the merchants and restaurants. This year Greer was added to Saturday’s schedule for the suggested lunch destination.
"I am thrilled once again to be part of this terrific event that will bring BMW Z car enthusiasts back to Greer where their Roadsters were manufactured. This will have a substantial economic impact on our local businesses as these beautiful cars and their drivers converge on Trade Street for lunch and shopping on Saturday. Erin and I are looking forward lowering the convertible top on her 1996 Z3 Roadster (an early production model and one of the first ones assembled in Greer) and seeing a lot of old friends returning to Greer for this year’s homecoming."
Owners of Z1s, Z3s, Z4s and Z8s traditionally get together once a year to celebrate their ownership of the roadsters. Seminars, caravans throughout the Upstate and western North Carolina, and social events are held with Greenville as its base. Tours at the BMW Manufacturing production plant in Greer and at CU-ICAR will be part of the 4-day festival that started Thursday. This is the 16th anniversary of the BMW Z,
The event is also open to Z Sports Car Club of America (ZSCCA) across the country. “We are planning wonderful drives, clinics, vendor displays and food,” said David Weeks, ZSCCA president and ZFest chairperson.
The ZFest formerly was a BMW promotion when the vehicles were assembled at the Greer-based BMW facility. When BMW Manufacturing stopped assembling the sports cars, the ZFest was held in different parts of the country.