Hundreds of classic cars, dozens of vendors, a beer garden and money raised for local charities highlighted the eighth annual Lake Country Custom and Classic Car Show, held Aug. 20 and 21 in Lake Country’s Swalwell Park.
More than 3,000 people took in the car show, which opened with a car cruise around Lake Country on the Saturday before 250 vehicles lined Swalwell Park on the Sunday.
“It was fantastic,” said Lake Country Chamber of Commerce manager Kim Kristiansen. “It was a great event. It was the eighth annual and although it was my first kick at the can (as chamber manager) it felt like it was a huge success.”
The event began several years ago under the organization of local car enthusiast Ron Volk before the chamber took it over to run last year’s show. But Volk remains involved and even had a prize named in his honour as he was able to select his favourite vehicle from the hundreds that showed up.
Volk, who didn’t know he would have a trophy in his name this year until showing up at the show, selected a 1967 Chevelle owned by Ken Mack as his favourite.
“I’ve seen that car before and I really like it. The workmanship is second to none,” said Volk, whose main goal when handing the organization over to the chamber was to make sure the car show continued. “That was my biggest concern was that they keep the car show going.”
Of this year’s event, Volk said: “Overall, it was a good show. A lot of the merchants are setting up booths and displaying what they are doing and that works out very well.”
The chamber was still tallying donations before Lake Country Calendar deadline, and waiting to finalize costs, but proceeds will go to two local charities. Already the Lake Country Food Bank has received $550, as part of a 50-50 draw and chamber director Garth Donhauser says the fundraising aspect is taking off.
“We’ve grown it and it’s really started to turn into a good fundraiser for charity,” said Donhauser. “As it continues to grow I really think it’s going to be one of the main events each year in Lake Country.”
Close to 30 vendors were set up in Swalwell Park in the midst of the cars. Merchants included food vendors as well as those selling things like jewelry and boutique shop items.
At the Lake Country chamber, Kristiansen says the car show is definitely something that is going to be a mainstay on the calendar each year in the district.
“I think it’s an important event and I think people look forward to it,” she said. “I think it’s important to have an annual event like this that people look forward to. We keep growing and adding things each year. It’s a chance for people to come out and see our community. There is something for everyone. We have the water park there so families can come out and this year the beer garden brought out a bunch of different people.”
Next year Kristiansen says they hope to add to the family area with bouncy castles and continue to improve on the car show.