EVERETT — Look both ways as a century of cars parade through downtown Everett for Cruzin’ to Colby this weekend.
“We have everything from a 1923 fire chief vehicle to a 2023 Corvette,” organizer Scott Pattison said. “We’ve got 100 years of cars.”
Over 40,000 people attended last year’s event, a tradition for over two decades as “the place to play on Memorial Day.”
“If the sun comes out, it’s going to be big,” Pattison said. “Pre-registration is strong, the biggest since 2019. I’m thinking we are going to get 700 cars.”
The controlled cruise and sound-off competition is from 6-9 p.m. Sunday.
“Show and shine” is 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday, with a trophy presentation from 3:30-4 p.m.
The autos are from all walks of life.
An inside view of Pegasus, a 1929 Ford Model AA that once served as Everett Public Library’s bookmobile, which is parked in the basement of the Everett Museum of History’s Colby building on Thursday, May 16, 2024, in downtown Everett, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
“There’s a ‘54 Rolls Royce, a ‘47 Buick,” Pattison said. “The ‘60s muscle cars are well represented as are the modern cars. We have a couple Teslas registered.”
Some downtown streets will be closed. The event has live music, food vendors, a kids zone and bouncy houses.
“It’s free admission and great family fun,” Pattison said.
The show is run by volunteers and raises money from sponsors and vendors for local charities.
A 1920s Ford Model AA known as Peggy won’t be cruising Colby, but will be on hand for admiring. The historic car served as the Pegasus bookmobile for the Everett Public Library, and was called Peggy for short.
“It’s a perfect photo-op, particularly for young kids. They can stand behind the steering wheel,” Everett Museum of History spokesperson Lee Mathews said.
The future home of the museum, 2939 Colby Ave., is still in the works, but will open its doors from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday for people to see Peggy. Use the alley entrance.
“One comical part of the bookmobile’s history is the fact that a number of the early women librarians who drove the bookmobile from one location to another rolled over while turning a corner because it was top-heavy,” Mathews said. “No one was hurt but it took a lot of time to reshelve all the books that went tumbling to the floor once it was upright again.”
The hood ornament on Pegasus, a 1929 Ford Model AA that once served as Everett Public Library’s bookmobile, is seen in the basement of the Everett Museum of History’s Colby building on Thursday, May 16, 2024, in downtown Everett, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Peggy was retired in 1950 and sold at auction for $250. The library workhorse was stripped of its cabinetry and turned into a gravel-hauling flatbed.
She was rediscovered in 1992, a “stripped down, broken down, disheveled mess,” according to the library’s “Peggy Roars Again” podcast.
“A years-long restoration process ensued, involving the generous donation of funds, labor, and mechanical skill of many members of Everett’s community,” the website says. “Eventually Peggy was able to ride again, and became a fixture in local parades.”
The grande dame ended up in storage until rolling into the museum.
More at cruzin2colby.com.
Andrea Brown: 425-339-3443; abrown@heraldnet.com; Twitter: @reporterbrown.
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