Autofest takes over Lakeview Park this weekend
By Joel Wittnebel/The Oshawa Express
In addition to the rolling of the waves, the cries of seagulls and the shouts of children at play, the roar of engines will be added to the symphony of sounds at Lakeview Park this weekend.
The 22nd-annual Autofest Nationals gets underway Aug 21 and runs to the 23rd, and will see hundreds of classic cars and thousands of admirers flock down Simcoe Street to the lakefront.
Things get underway Friday with registration and kick-off events at the Quality Inn Hotel.
Events begin at the lakefront bright and early Saturday morning, with a show and shine, truck show and Muscle Car Mania, all ramping up at 9 a.m. If you’re not an early riser, don’t worry – they all run until 5 p.m.
A Poker Run, silent auction and the Coburn Parade of Winners will all take place before the gates close at 6 p.m. They open up once again on Sunday morning at 9 a.m.
Judging by the numbers, Gary Challice, a founding member of the Motor City Car Club, the organization behind Autofest, says this year is shaping up to be one of the best.
“The big thing is we are, as far as car registrations go at this point, we’re ahead of where we were last year. That’s real good news,” he says.
Along with the preregistrations, Challice says many cars just roll into the show throughout the weekend, but the registration numbers are a good sign this year’s Autofest will be an exciting one.
Challice says the club is also feeling the buzz as people are calling in asking about the event and giving feedback.
“That’s another thing we’re excited about,” he says.