SNOHOMISH — The sunny weather helped make the 30th Annual Classic Car and Hot Rod Display Show the biggest display of cars in Snohomish in recent years.
According to organizers, there were 640 vehicles along First Street and side streets from Maple Avenue to Avenue D on Sunday.
The event attracted so many car owners that there was not enough space for all of them.
“We didn’t have any idea of how many people were going to show up,” said Pam Osborne, manager of the Snohomish Chamber of Commerce.
It has been a while since the car show was full, she said.
The event is the biggest fundraiser for the chamber of commerce, and helps pay for the chamber’s operational costs and programs.
The event also promoted Snohomish as a destination, organizers said.
There were about 100 car owners who were turned away, said Ray Cook, chair of the classic car committee.
Still, those cars could be seen parked a distance from downtown Snohomish.
Organizers said there were about 15,000 people who came to the event.*
“It’s probably one of my highlights of 20 years of me doing this,” Cook said.
Participants voted in 38 categories that included stock cars, modified and custom cars, and American-made sports cars.
Bud Worley, 68, brought his 1956 Chevrolet Bel Air Nomad, but he didn’t expect to win any prizes.
“I came to enjoy the show, the cars and the people,” said Worley, who lives in Renton.
Worley said he has been in four dozen car shows this year, and the one in Snohomish is one of the best.
One advantage Snohomish had was that people could shop, eat or watch the Seahawks football game at different downtown businesses, said Jim Rogers, of Marysville, who brought his 1960 Oldsmobile Dynamic 88.
“There’s a lot of other things to do here besides looking at the cars,” Rogers said.
For Taylor Mayfield, the best thing about the show was the variety of classic cars.
“This is the best place to do it,” he said of downtown Snohomish.
Alejandro Dominguez: 425-339-3422; adominguez@heraldnet.com.
Correction, Oct. 1, 2012: The estimated number of people in attendance was incorrect in an earlier version of this article.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.