A couple admires a black Model A Ford at Cactus Jalopies. (Richard McGuire photo)
The 10th annual Cactus Jalopies has come and gone. By all accounts, it was another big success.
It was a perfect warm sunny day in the lovely setting at Gyro Park next to the lake.
The collection of cars, trucks and bikes in every colour, glistening in the sunshine, was simply amazing.
Osoyoos has a number of festivals and events, all of them noteworthy in some way.
Cherry Fiesta, of course, is a highlight of Canada Day on July 1.
The Oyster Festival in the early spring is also a big draw for out-of-town visitors and locals alike.
Most events in Osoyoos, however, draw primarily local people, even if a number of visitors as well as short-term vacationers take part.
Cactus Jalopies is different. It brings hundreds and hundreds of people from all over the map who come here solely for this event.
Many stay in local hotels and eat in local restaurants, bringing dollars into the Osoyoos economy. Perhaps more important through, they spread the word about Osoyoos as they visit other communities on the car show circuit around the continent.
You can’t buy advertising like that word-of-mouth communication.
Taking place in early June, Cactus Jalopies falls somewhere between the shoulder season and the peak of summer tourism.
While there needs to be more focus on drawing visitors during the pleasant shoulder months of April, May, September and October, there is still room to grow in early June. So the timing of Cactus Jalopies works well.
Exhibitors pay a nominal fee to participate, but admission for spectators was by donation with money raised going towards Osoyoos Secondary School’s 2016 graduation.
The students, who helped with setup for the show, managed to collect $3,600, which puts them roughly a third of the way to what they’ll need for grad.
It is to the credit of Cactus Jalopies that they allowed this revenue to go to a community cause instead of just pocketing it themselves as they could so easily have done.
The Rotary Club of Osoyoos also was able to raise money for the community at its pancake breakfast and beer garden.
All in all, it was a spectacular show with amazing vehicles shown by a dedicated bunch of car enthusiasts.
Many of them put thousands of hours of work into their passion, simply because they love what they do and without any thought of financial gain.
Their enthusiasm is infectious.
In the 10 years since local hot rod builder J.F. Launier first conceived of Cactus Jalopies, it has grown into one of the best car shows in the province.
We hope that Cactus Jalopies continues to enjoy this same success in future years. And perhaps some of this community’s other great festivals and events can pick up some pointers on how to put on a great show.
