Rock and roll and classic cars go together like apple pie and ice cream so it was only natural that Thornbury Rock and Roll Festival organizer Linda Thorn would add a classic car show to go with the classic sound of the Martels at her Labour Day weekend fund-raiser for the Beaver Valley Outreach.
Over 200 cars took part in the first Paradise Classic Car Show at the Beaver Valley Community Centre Saturday for a fun show and shine before the evening dinner and dance. The car show has always been an informal part of the three-year-old festival, but this year Thorn gave it a name and prmoted it to car clubs and cruiser nights across southern Ontario.
"We wanted it to be a fun social time for the car owners so there's no judging or age restrictions on the cars," said Thorn as she walked the tarmac Saturday afternoon. "We've got everything from antiques to classics to hot rods here and drivers have come from all across southern Ontario."
Like Bill Findley of Collingwood who drove his fire-engine red "radical" 1931 Plymounth pickup to the show.
"She started out as a four-door coach and was then cut down into a pickup truck," explained Findley, who has completely rebuilt the truck into what he calls "a highly modified, radical" design.
"I did all the custom work myself as well as the metal fabrication," he said. "It's an old body with today's new technology, including a 383 Chev stroker motor that delivers that delivers 400 horsepower."
Also new to the festival this year, was a sold-out 300 seat Eco Feast Gourmet Buffet, featuring locally grown meat and produce. "I'm so thrilled that people are appreciative of this low-carbon foot-print, organic 100 mile diet type meal," said Thorn.
To cap the night off, The Martels celebrated their 50th anniversary of making music with a high-energy concert that had people dancing from the first song to the final encore.
"As soon as the music starts the dance floor is packed and people are dancing and lip-syncing to every song because they know all the words to these great classic rock and roll songs," said Thorn.
Proceeds from this year's event go to support the Beaver Valley Outreach.
