An exciting weekend on tap in Belle River, with the Sunsplash festival getting underway on Thursday evening.
Classic cars will then be cruising through Belle River on Friday, July 14, as the Sunsplash Classic Car Cruise Car Show celebrates 20 years of showcasing automotive excellence.
The main street in Belle River, Notre Dame, will be temporarily closed from First Street to Eleventh Street from 3 p.m. until 9 p.m. to accommodate the Sunsplash Classic Car Cruise Car Show festivities, which runs from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Event Chair Travis Turkington says this could be the biggest year yet, with over 100 vendors already signed up.
"So we've got lots of awesome events, probably more than I can name. We've got a big hospice event with a big rubber ducky happening where we're going to be dropping over 1,000 ducks from a giant fire truck, so that's going to be pretty awesome. We've got Zoo To You coming, we've got a lot of bands, and just an awesome show all around."
Other highlights of the 2023 Sunsplash event, which is being put on by the Belle River-On the Lake BIA, include:
- Showcasing a collection of classic cars, vintage vehicles, hot rods, muscle cars, and customized automobiles
- An Exhibitors' Choice Award where participants can vote for their favourite car and recognize outstanding vehicles as chosen by the exhibitors
- Lots of family-friendly events and live music
- the Sunsplash Idol Competition
- The vendor market
- A nightly beer tent being sponsored by the G.O.A.T.
Turkington says they're already feeling the excitement for the event in the community.
"Everyone else seems super excited, and I think they can feel that this year especially is a huge change and a huge boost compared to how it's been," he continued. "Keep in mind in the past years we were hit with COVID-19 and then the year after we had to run it in real quick, but this year for me so far seems like the best year yet."
Spectators wander Notre Dame St. in Lakeshore for the 16th annual Classic Cruise Car Show at Sunsplash Friday July 14. (Photo by AM800's Gord Bacon)
He says the car show is the biggest attraction that brings in a ton of people.
"The bonus about the car show too is that it attracts a lot of people from out of town to come in because everybody knows that Notre Dame street is just packed filled with cars. Lots of buzz and business, just all around a great crowd. We also have brand new car show t-shirts that I had a chance to look at and they look phenomenal," he said.
The Sunsplash festival runs all weekend, and a full list of events can be found on the Belle River BIA website.
- with files from AM800's Rob Hindi