The sun rises over the Devon Horse Show as cars begin to roll in. The distant clips of hooves echo from the show rings. At the edge of the lot, Mr. Norcini waves a driver into a spot with practiced precision. His family has done this for more than a century—five generations parking cars for visitors going to one of the region’s most celebrated equestrian events. What began as a practical way to earn money from a small plot of land has become a family legacy.

For Mr. Norcini, parking cars at the Devon Horse Show is not just a summer gig; what started as a childhood chore has become voluntary for him. It is a way for him to honor his family from past generations while making new memories with his own children. Through this tradition, Mr. Norcini has found a way to keep history alive while also shaping his family’s future.

“I started doing this when I was about five years old. At that age, I wanted to be a veterinarian, which, as I like to say, ‘clearly didn’t work out for me.’ My family has had nothing to do with the horses other than parking the cars of people who go to the horse show. I grew up right near the horse show fairgrounds. That was where my grandfather lived. My Uncle Ed was the one who really got me involved—he would take me to Philly’s games, we would go skiing together, and eventually he had me collecting money from people who would park in our lot.”

Mr. Norcini continues to stay involved because the horse show’s timing is around Memorial Day, which fits naturally into his schedule as an educator. When he was younger, the Devon Horse Show marked the end of the school year for him, and summer was almost near.

Brian Walter, Director of College Counseling and a friend of Mr. Norcini here at SCH, had his own experience parking at the Norcini family lot for the Devon Horse Show. “It was a funny moment because I didn’t know his family had this history of parking cars for the Devon Horse Show,” he said.

Over time, Devon has developed, and parking space has disappeared, making his family’s lot one of the only remaining places to park. Technology has changed the way they work, shifting from cash to Venmo. More importantly, Mr. Norcini’s perspective has also changed. When he was younger, he focused on the hustle and making money; now he values the time he spends with his family, especially his older relatives, as well as making memories with his own children.

Looking ahead, his biggest goal is to keep his family’s property and the parking tradition alive for future generations. The house that once belonged to his grandfather and is now in his retired uncle’s possession has been the center of his family’s tradition for decades. He hopes to preserve it after his uncle passes so that his children, and possibly their children, can continue to work. He sees the experience as more than just a side job, but also as an opportunity for his children to learn practical life skills, such as talking to strangers with confidence, learning more about responsibility, and how to work hard.

In the end, it is not the parking lot he hopes to preserve, but the sense of family and tradition that has filled it for generations. Walter added, “It’s very family-oriented. Hands-on. They work hard. It’s absolutely a family operation, for sure.”