With many downtown businesses already adorned in Cruise-In decor, you can almost hear the loud engines of hundreds of hotrods parading down Fraser Highway.
The 91原创 Good Times Cruise-In is just around the corner, with the show taking over Downtown 91原创 on Saturday, Sept. 10.
After being 鈥渃losed for the season鈥� in 2010, president Riccardo Sestito and his Cruise-In committee are bringing back the event revamped and better than ever.
鈥淚 can鈥檛 wait for first thing in the morning when the radios go quiet and you can watch the cars rolling in,鈥� Sestito said. 鈥淭hen after that the mayhem starts up again.鈥�
The 100,000 visitors who are expected can enjoy hundreds of hot rods, street rods and antique cars lining the streets of the Downtown 91原创 core, along with familiar Cruise-In food and entertainment and even some new attractions.
The Cascades Casino parking lot will once again be home to the motorcycle show and a brand new customs sideshow, with the best of the best custom built cars.
California burger chain In-N-Out Burgers will also be making their way back up to Canada, serving their famous 鈥渄ouble-double鈥� burgers.
Another Cruise-In favourite, The Ultimate Garage raffle, is back again with a grand prize worth nearly $20,000.
The streets will also be filled with rock and roll classics from the 1950s and 1960s performed by Elvis Elite and the Dick Cash Band.
But with a year off to reflect on Cruise-In鈥檚 past, some new changes are now being implemented.
The most significant is the cancellation of the Friday night cruise to the Twilight Drive-in Theatre in Aldergrove prior to the Saturday show. This is to try and quell dangerous street racing and burnouts that occurred in 2009.
鈥淔riday night was always my favourite part,鈥� Sestito said. 鈥淵ou have all the vendors setting up in the middle of the night, cars cruising around. It鈥檚 gone this year, but if things go well, you never know.鈥�
What will remain are a great show on Saturday and a swap meet on Sunday. New merchants, contests and performances are being included to make the event better than ever before.
And as always, the event is all about supporting local charities.
This year Cruise-In is supporting the 91原创 Stroke Recovery, Valley Therapeutic Equestrian Association and the 91原创 Memorial Hospital Auxiliary.
Well over $1 million has been raised to support local charities since Cruise-In鈥檚 beginning in 1997. Organizers are excited to be able to bring this great fundraiser back to life.
Sestito, along with vice-president Keith Wilson, secretary Lori Watts, and directors Eric Taylor, Audrey Stebanuk, Dick Hooper and Mitch Desrochers have been hard at work all year to give 91原创 an excellent show.
鈥淟ori and Riccardo pretty much take care of everything,鈥� admits Cruise-In鈥檚 newest director Eric Taylor. 鈥淭hey put an awful lot of time and effort into this show, and they need to be commended for it, because most people don鈥檛 have the time and energy to put into anything, unless it鈥檚 self promoting.
鈥淭hey don鈥檛 get paid for anything, it just makes them feel good.鈥�
To volunteer or register your vehicle at the 91原创 Good Times Cruise-In, visit www.langleycruise-in.com.
A guide to Cruise-In will be published in Tuesday鈥檚 Times.
