It’s time to shine.
Billed as western Canada’s premier three-day vintage and collector car show, this year’s 16th annual Peach City Beach Cruise is expected to draw over 700 vehicles from Canada and the United States.
“Lots of car shows are just a flash, one day and they’re gone,” said Ron Muzzillo, director and past president of the organizing body, the Penticton Historic Automobile Society. “But here you can just settle in for the weekend and enjoy the show.
“And location, a lot of people go to car shows that are in a parking lot, nobody has a car show with a backdrop of Okanagan Lake like we do.”
Friday at 5:30 p.m. the vehicles begin the annual parade from Skaha Lake along Skaha Lake Road at about 20 kilometres an hour to Eckhardt Avenue.
From there the Downtown Penticton Association takes over and the vehicles are divided into two lines and slowed to “parade speed” on the way to the show spots in Gyro Park and along Lakeside Drive for the rest of the weekend.
Earlier in the day, following registration, show vehicle owners will go on a self-guided tour of wineries in the Okanagan Falls and Oliver region.
Once again this year there will be plenty of entertainment throughout the weekend at Gyro Park with some new acts, including Nearly Neil and the Solitary Band with a tribute to Neil Diamond.
Back again, by popular demand, will be Jeff Bodner with his award-winning Essence of Elvis show.
Also performing will be Cassandra Friske, Rob Rowan and Kansas-Lee.
For the second year organizers are encouraging participants to wear costumes.
“The idea is to dress up in the period of their cars,” said Muzzillo. “It’s kind of neat to see somebody who has a 1930s car dressed in clothes of that era.”
As many as 30 of the unique Chevy SSR trucks are expected to be in attendance as well as an added feature this year, six, big rig trucks including a vintage Kenworth and several vintage motorhomes.
The “Old Boys and Their Toys” will also be back with their vintage tractors and other machinery as well as stationary engines. There will be venders and a beverage garden in Gyro throughout the weekend with the festivities winding up at noon Sunday with the awards presentation.