If every classic car has its own unique story, then consider Chilliwack’s Village Classic Car Show a master library.
Every year in late June, up to 500 truly unique cars converge on this city’s downtown core. The show’s volunteer crew is on site as early as 5 a.m., preparing to help the car owners roll into their parking spots for the day. Registration starts at 7 a.m., and the show officially starts at 10 a.m.
And as the streets fill up with cars, they also fill with onlookers ready to chat with car owners. For many people, the show is also a chance to enjoy a trip down memory lane.
Trevor McDonald, executive director of the Chilliwack Business Improvement Association, says “old car bring back memories, good memories, for people.”
And he said walking through the streets can spur on nostalgia while sparking conversations.
“Everybody’s got a story about a car they wanted, a car they lost, a car they had but had to sell because of family, and jobs, and life, and they’re sitting there admiring a car that maybe they used to own,” he says.
McDonald and a small crew of long-time volunteers have been working behind the scenes for months in preparation for this year’s show, happening Sunday, June 28.
Just days away, they just have to sit back and wait — and pray for good weather. Even though the Village Classic is a rain or shine event, he said they prefer to shine when they can.
Whatever the weather, he wants people to be prepared when they head out for the show.
That means checking the forecast that morning and make sure to bring sunscreen and hats, or umbrellas and jackets. It also means knowing what is where, so you don’t miss a thing.
The Village Classic is one of the last remaining car shows where the city will close the roads for an entire downtown neighbourhood, and in this case, accommodating around 20,000 spectators.
To keep things running smoothly from morning to the end of the show at 3 p.m., every car has a general predetermined location. For example, the British Car Club takes over the walkways of District 1881, and VWs line up and down Victoria Avenue. You’ll find the cars with the wicked sound systems in the parking lot behind the BIA office, off Young Road, and GMC RVs set up in the parking lot beyond that one.
Families and movie lovers will also want to make sure they find the British Columbian DeLorean displays, where famous vehicles are on display. Past featured cars have been the DeLorean from Back to the Future, the Pacer from Wayne’s World, and even Optimus Prime from Transformers.
The Mindel Coupe, owned by Kevin Mindel of Stone’s Speed Shop, is the featured car for this year’s show. The black coupe is an award-winning, heavily customized 1934 Ford 5-window coupe built by Stones Speed Shop. In 2024, it was featured on Young Road near the movie vehicles. This year, it will be front and centre at Five Corners.
The majority of cars that come are from local owners, with some coming out for nearly all of the 20 years it’s been running. For this year’s show, they are hoping to see a large turnout of both cars and car lovers.
There is plenty to see and do in between checking out the cars, McDonald adds.
They have two stages with live entertainment, with the Lounge Hounds at the Five Corners stage and the Stan Giles band at the stage in Central Community Park.
There is a Family Fun Zone set up inside the Main Street Church from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., and food trucks to enjoy on the west end of Victoria Avenue.
And many of the businesses will be open and ready for business that day, offering a great opportunity for people to explore the ever-improving downtown neighbourhood.
This year there will be 27 awards handed out, on stage at 2:30 p.m.
“A lot of good people are putting a lot of time into this event,” McDonald said. “So we just want people to come out and support it.”