SUNDRE – The West Country Cruisers’ sixth annual Sundre Car Show nearly doubled the number of entries registered in 2024.
And organizers are both optimistic and confident about the potential to once again double the turnout in future events.
In 2024, the car club had for the first time ever relocated the show and shine to the spacious Sundre Pro Rodeo grounds after getting started at the Sundre and District Museum.
While an organizer attributed both advertising as well as word of mouth as being instrumental in reaching a new record for this year’s event – which was held on Sunday, June 29 – she also cited spectacular sunny weather as a bonus that undoubtedly prompted even more to people to come out.
Erin Knecht, the club’s secretary-treasurer, said the number of registrations this year was 232, a huge jump up from 126 in 2024.
The available square footage over at the rodeo grounds was also a crucial factor in facilitating growth, said Knecht, who expects the Sundre Car Show will continue to grow with room for upwards of an estimated 600 vehicles.
The top five entries this year were the following vehicles:
• 1958 Chevy Viking owned by John and Marni;
• 1940 ford half-ton pickup owned by Ted French;
• 1968 1/2 Ford Mustang GT owned by Kim VanTighem;
• 1968 Ford Bronco owned by Jim Garrison; and,
• 1959 Ford Fairlane owned by Harlan Avramenko.
The Best Rat Rod – a category of custom cars characterized as works in progress – was won by Daryl de Souza with his “ponti-rat” 1933 Pontiac four-door car that was turned into a truck.
Alexander Frocklage, 13, won the Young Guns category with a 1988 John Deere 130 lawn tractor.
People’s Choice and Longest Distance went to Ann-Marie Lukenchuk of Sherwood Park with her 1951 Chevy 1300 five-window.
And Town of Sundre Mayor Richard Warnock presented the Mayor’s Choice award to Tom Reed, who brought out his 1929 Ford Model A.
Beyond offering people an opportunity to peruse a variety of vehicle makes and models, the show also featured six food trucks as well as 25 vendors and live music by Linda Jean with Gloria Rae along with kid-friendly activities including face painting and balloon artists with a drive-in movie screening of the film Smokey and the Bandit winding everything up.
Making the whole thing possible were all of the volunteers who stepped up, said Knecht.
“The community support that we have here in Sundre is top notch.”
And the club endeavours to pay it forward with proceeds raised going to three community organizations: the Sundre Community Van Society, The Den – Sundre Youth Centre, as well as the Sundre Nutrition for Learning Society.
