INNISFAIL – Downtown Innisfail will soon be filled with muscle and mopar, as the Weekend of Wheels returns to Main Street.
The annual fundraiser presented by the Innisfail Kinsmen Club takes place Sept. 14 and 15.
“It’s always been the second weekend in September,” said Russ Klemmer, president of the Innisfail Kinsmen Club. “This year we’re moving back downtown.”
The club was approached by town officials to determine interest in returning to its former location, noted Klemmer. For the past two years, the event was held on the grass area next to John’s No Frills.
“John (Harris) at No Frills was fantastic in providing the location for us for the last couple of years,” said Klemmer. “It was a great location and feedback was probably 50-50 from the participants.
“Moving it back downtown, it’s going to be great as far as space goes so we’ll have lots of room for lots of cars,” he added.
The event will again feature a show and shine from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sept. 14, with muscle, mopar, antique and modern cars and trucks lined up along Main Street, from the cenotaph to the corner of 52nd Avenue.
The 100-foot shootout takes place in front of the Innisfail Arena, starting at 11 a.m. on Sept. 15.
“We had 120 cars in the show and shine last year and the weather to start the day wasn’t good, so we missed out on some of the Red Deer cars,” explained Klemmer. “We don’t have pre-registration (for the shootout) on Sunday, so whoever shows up on that day can enter their vehicles.
“Activities that we’re bringing in this year are going to be similar to previous years,” he added, noting food trucks and several vendors.
All proceeds and donations collected from the event will go towards Innisfail's new skatepark that is currently under construction.
Close to $60,000 has been raised or donated through the club so far in addition to donations from other local clubs, noted Klemmer.
The skatepark is expected to be completed sometime in September or October.
“It’s pretty exciting. We’ve been fundraising for the past four years for the skatepark and we’ve been applying for grants to assist with the completion of the skatepark,” Klemmer concluded.
