Car enthusiasts, experts and amateurs alike crowded Beacon Avenue in Sidney to check out the 2019 Sidney Summer Car Show on Sunday.
The Toque Masters Car Club hosted the event and more than 300 cars were registered to be on display. The street was closed to vehicle traffic for the event and pedestrians took over the road.
A variety of cars from every decade were on display, including a hot pink 1934 Plymouth named Jellybean.
Bruce Laforest bought Jellybean a month ago after realizing that someone with a similar car was winning all the car shows he attended.
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Laforest, who has been going to car shows for 40 years, said his favourite car that he owns is his 1951 Station Wagon named Black Widow — he’s even got a tattoo of his Black Widow on his back.
Laforest feels people need to enjoy their collector vehicles and drive them if they’re in the right condition. He also recommended that more people get involved in car shows and collecting because it’s not as hard some may assume. He added, 1950s Chevys are good to start with because the parts are easy to get.
The best part about car shows is the camaraderie, Laforest explained after waving to a friend he hadn’t seen in several years.
“It’s like a reunion.”
Jim and Emmie Sloane agree. They came to the show with their friends Bart and Patricia Spruyt and their orange 1974 Toyota Wagon. The Sloanes’ 1960 Corvette is being prepped for a different show in Shawnigan Lake later this month, but they came to support their friends and take in the “car culture.”
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“The cars and the people are the fun part,” said Jim with a smile. He and Emmie were dressed in full tropical tourist garb to match the surf decorations on the Spruyts’ car.
The car show began at 8 a.m. with a pancake breakfast from the Sidney Lions Club and ran until 3 p.m. Aside from the cars, there was live music, food trucks, door prizes and many other attractions. After the show, members of the Torque Masters Car Club embarked on a Poker Run — a game that combines poker, driving and a barbecue.
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