Port Coquitlam residents venturing downtown this weekend can be forgiven for feeling as if they have travelled back in time.
Vintage hot rods and sports cars will line Shaughnessy Street and the surrounding area as part of the PoCo Business Improvement Association Car Show, which is held every year to highlight businesses in the city's downtown core.
More than 500 vehicles will be on display and event organizer Dean Washington expects more than 40,000 people to flood the city's streets.
"It is a great venue," he told The Tri-City News. "It is not too big and a lot of the car owners really like coming out."
While the show is geared to car enthusiasts, there is something for everyone at the event.
Bands will be playing all day and this year a mountain bike trials demonstration will be held. A nine-hole mini-golf course will be set up in the parking lot behind the A&W and there will also be a relaxation area for kids and their parents.
Donald Street will be turned into Mustang Alley and will feature wide range of pony cars, which Washington said links up with the rest of the show.
Magicians, comedians and face painters will also be on hand and there are tons of contests and prizes to be won.
"It is going to be very lively," Washington said. "There is lots of entertainment for all ages throughout the site."
The annual car show has grown since the first event seven years ago. Back then, Washington said the show had about 200 cars and attracted several thousand spectators. As the years have passed, however, the event has grown both in the number of cars on display and of visitors, and is now a popular event for local car hobbyists eager to talk shop and show off their latest (old) rides.
"They are very proud of their creations," Washington said. "Many of these people have spent hundreds of hours working on their cars and this is an opportunity to show them off."
The event is also a boon for local businesses, Washington said, providing and excellence showcase for downtown entrepreneurs. Many of the owners of shops in PoCo's downtown have told Washington the car show is their best day of the year in terms of sales.
"They are exposing their business to 40,000 people," he said.
The seventh annual Port Coquitlam Business Improvement Association Car Show will take place on Sunday, Aug. 21, between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. Car owners who are thinking about participating should go to www.pocobia.com and follow the links for registration.
