Classic cars lined up for the 2023 Seaside Cruisers Show & Shine. (Seaside Cruizers Car Club)

By Ian Holmes

popular event

Legendary car show to draw 550 vehicles and thousands of people to downtown Qualicum Beach

Jun 15, 2024 | 5:58 AM

QUALICUM BEACH — Car buffs will be in heaven scanning the streets of downtown Qualicum Beach on Father’s Day.

The Seaside Cruizers Car Club annual Father’s Day Show & Shine happens Sunday, June 16 from 8 a.m. through 3 p.m.

Downtown Qualicum Beach will closed to vehicular traffic to make way for about 550 registered classic cars, Seaside Cruizers Car Club Society president Jim Moroz said.

“We have anywhere from a 1920’s right up to a 2024 car. In fact, we have some electric Cadilac SVU’s that are coming this year that are brand new so people can see the difference of the cars through the ages and what’s going on now,” Moroz told NanaimoNewsNOW.

Cars as old as 100 years-old will be on display in downtown Qualicum Beach on Sunday, June 16 (Seaside Cruizers Car Club)

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A unique aspect of the famous and free of charge Qualicum Beach car show, Moroz said, is that they don’t restrict how old vehicles must be in order to be included.

Even new modified street-racing vehicles popular with young car enthusiasts will be on hand, as will numerous motorcycles and various models of classic trucks.

Moroz said those who’ve never attended are in for a treat.

“They can expect some of the most beautiful cars on the Island and from the Lower Mainland and as far away as Alberta. Some of them have put up to hundreds of thousands of dollars into these cars. We have music, food trucks, we have a 50/50 draw.”

The event, celebrating its 31st anniversary, generally attracts in the range of 15,000 to 20,000 people to downtown Qualicum Beach.

Moroz said a certain pop culture icon hyped the show many years ago, leading to a sustained surge in popularity.

“The folklore is that Oprah Winfrey said it was one of the ten best things to do on Father’s Day in North America on Father’s Day and after that it seemed to have doubled. We typically have been 550 and 625 cars every year.”

The annual event saw an evening cruise on Friday, June 14, featuring about 500 vehicles registered in the show travelling from Parksville to Qualicum Beach.

A poker run on Saturday, June 15 sees participants collecting playing cards at several checkpoints for prizes, while a street dance happens on Saturday evening starting at 6 p.m.

The Seaside Cruizers donates thousands of dollars annually to several Oceanside area charities from funds generated through the event.

Awards will be handed out in about 30 categories on Sunday afternoon.

Parking will be tight surrounding the downtown core in Qualicum Beach, with Moroz noting crowds typically start swelling dramatically by around 10 a.m. on Sunday.

Additional details on the Seaside Cruizers and their annual Show N’ Shine can be found here.

About 550 classic cars and a few new models will be on display on Father’s Day in Qualicum Beach. (Seaside Cruizers Car Club)

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Ian.holmes@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @reporterholmes