Car Show Calendar

Each year the entries on the Pacific Northwest Region Calendar of Events seem to be printed in a smaller type size. Although I can barely see them without my reading glasses, the tiny type is actually a good thing. Smaller print means more car shows are listed on the two-sided calendar, which is available now, but going fast.

The calendar is printed and published by Oldtimers Northwest of Bremerton, Washington. The 2012 version is the 44th edition. Oldtimers Northwest has a Facebook page where you can post comments although you cannot get the calendar there. I haven’t been able to find a complete version of the calendar online anywhere.

I got my copy at the Westbay NAPA Auto and Truck Parts Store on Kitsap Way in Bremerton. The calendar may be available at other local auto parts stores besides the Westbay chain. Oldtimers Northwest can be contacted by email at perk120@aol.com.

The entries on the calendar include car shows, cruises, swap meets, show & shines, rod runs, and several other classic car-related descriptors used by organizers to describe their event. Most of the shows are in Oregon and Washington, but Idaho, Montana, and British Columbia are also well represented. No one community or area has a monopoly on the great American pastime of getting people together to display and admire old cars.

Hats off to collector-car owners everywhere for their dedication, knowledge, work, time, expense, and willingness to drive or haul their treasures to a location where the rest of us can enjoy them. For their trouble, they are usually charged a hefty entry fee. As a show attendee, don’t assume that the satisfaction car owners get from showing a car, or perhaps winning an award, is enough. If you see a car or truck you like, let the owner know. I have never met an owner who didn’t want to talk about his or her classic.

To take advantage of the Northwest’s (often) great summer weather, most of the more than 500 events listed on the calendar are squeezed into the months of June, July, and August. July alone has more than 120 listings, including 35 for the weekend of July 20th to 22nd. So many shows, so little time. What’s a car lover to do?

A big thanks also to Oldtimers Northwest for putting the calendar together. Keeping track of the show names, locations, dates, and phone numbers can’t be easy.

My favorite local shows are on the calendar again this year. These include the Elks Car Show in Bremerton, Shelton’s Forest Festival Car Show and Classic & Antique Show, the Port Orchard Cruz, the Taste of Hood Canal Belfair, Return to Pt. Gamble, and the Classic Car Show in Edmonds. Silverdale is joining the fun in 2012 with the Encore Communities Show in June. Rather than list dates and contact phone numbers, I recommend getting a copy of the calendar to see what’s in your area. Better hurry though! Supplies are limited.