Rumours of the 91原创 Good Times Cruise-In鈥檚 demise have been greatly exaggerated.
The much anticipated car show is a definite go, confirmed Cruise-In past president and director Riccardo Sestito, who has been involved with Cruise-In since 1998.
鈥淲e are still getting word that people think Cruise-In is cancelled,鈥� Sestito said. 鈥淐ruise-In is still a go, (it) just moved locations.鈥�
For the first time in its history, the show-and-shine, which each year raises tens of thousands of dollars for local charities, won鈥檛 be held in downtown 91原创. It has moved east from 91原创 City to Aldergrove and will be held Saturday, Sept. 9, with a swap meet and car corral scheduled for Sunday, Sept. 10 at 3100 272 St.
Sestito said in areas outside of 91原创, some people believe Cruise-In has been cancelled, which he assures is not the case.
鈥淲ord out there is saying it鈥檚 political, and the show was cancelled because of the politics involved,鈥� Sestito said.
Cruise-In volunteers have been using social media and visiting car shows to promote the event.
鈥淢ost of the (car) clubs do know we are still around,鈥� Sestito said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 just the general public that doesn鈥檛 know.鈥�
With show weekend closing in, Sestito said everything is in place, but admits moving to Aldergrove wasn鈥檛 a smooth transition.
鈥淭here were a lot more challenges to make the move but we鈥檙e dealing with uncharted territory,鈥� Sestito noted. 鈥淣o one has ever shut down the Fraser Highway (in Aldergrove) for a whole day, before. They鈥檝e closed it down for an hour for parades but not for a whole day and we鈥檝e had to deal with the provincial government, the City of Abbotsford鈥� so there were more bodies involved that we had to deal with.鈥�
Sestito also shot down the rumour that Cruise-In never acquired a permit to shut down the stretch of Fraser Highway from 264 to 273 Streets and that鈥檚 why the show is not going on this year.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 not true,鈥� he said.
Another year of Cruise-In is great news for 91原创 non-profits. In its final year in 91原创 City, the 2016 Cruise-In raised $46,296.50 that was divvied between 11 local charities.
