Summerfest event continues weekend car show, concerts
Berl Tiskus
A red Chevy Corvette draws the admiration of a passerby during the Summerfest car show held last weekend in downtown Polson.
Elizabeth Anderson
Car show winners are selected.
Elizabeth Anderson
Winners are selected during the Summerfest car show.
Elizabeth Anderson
Spectators peruse vintage cars Saturday along Polson’s Main Street.
Elizabeth Anderson
Chad Wenger, owner of a 1968 Chevy pickup said his dad got him started in car shows when Wenger was a child.
Elizabeth Anderson
The winner for best of show went to Candy Johnson of Columbia Falls for her 1928 Dodge five-window coupe.
Elizabeth Anderson
Best of show awards await their presentation.
Berl Tiskus
The shiny “skin” of Char and Jerry Appel’s 1937 coach turned into a motorhome reflects car show attendees.
Elizabeth Anderson
The Best of Show award is presented for best bike.
Elizabeth Anderson
Dennis and Nila Anderson of Anderson Broadcasting, organizers of this year's car show, draw a raffle winner.
Elizabeth Anderson
Nila Anderson of Anderson Broadcasting stands with raffle winner Jarren Brenner.
Berl Tiskus
A young lad swings on a bungee cord during Summerfest in Polson.
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Elizabeth Anderson
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Correction
There were several inaccuracies in the Summerfest story in the Aug. 13 issue of the Valley Journal. Leanor Jaeger Peterson’s late husband was incorrectly identified, her son’s name misspelled and their vehicle entry incorrect. Peterson’s late husband, who was paid tribute during the ceremony, is Ed Jaeger. Harvey Peterson is the current husband of Leanor Peterson. Her son’s name is Bo. And the vehicle registered in Ed Jaeger’s memory was a 1930 DeSoto. The Valley Journal sincerely apologizes for these errors as well as for any confusion and distress they may have caused.
Corrections have been made to the story below:
POLSON — People filled the streets and the smell of popcorn filled the air Saturday for the 14th annual car show, part of the Summerfest weekend held Aug. 7-9 in Polson.
Chad Wenger, owner of a 1968 Chevy Pickup said that his dad brought him up into the car show.
“I started traveling with him all over the northwest when I was a kid,” he said. “It’s been a fun hobby.”
Wenger said he’s won four car shows this year with his ’68 Chevy, including best of show in Great Falls, first place in Sheridan last weekend, plus wins in Superior and Helena.
“There’s a lot of nice stuff here, a lot of competition,” Wenger said.
Wenger and his dad are among many who have participated in the event for several years.
The event, organized by Anderson Radio Broadcasting, was combined to embrace the Sandpiper arts festival weekend and the car show, which was formerly sponsored by the Mission Valley Cruisers Car Club and known as Cruisen by the Bay.
“We feel very happy that we were able to do this,” Dennis Anderson said on behalf of Anderson Radio Broadcasting. “The Valley Cruisers are a phenomenal group of people. They’ve been doing this a long, long time, 13 years, but they’ve probably had it in their hearts and minds for 113 years. These are car people, and they love this and they will help us get better.”
Some members of the Car Club provided continuity this year by helping, even though it was no longer their event.
On Main Street Saturday, 127 registered cars lined up, where specific categories were chosen for best of show.
Lynn Olsen served as announcer and provided music for the event.
“I’ve done the car show several years,” Olsen said. “I remember doing the car show the first year. I’ve probably done seven or eight. It’s just been kinda fun.”
Mark Giacoletto, owner of Finley Point Grill, stood in the middle of
Main Street and introduced each winner for the awards ceremony. Winners received a trophy for each category.
Sharon Richardson’s husband, Bob, who passed away in the last year, was acknowledged during the ceremony. Bob was always part of the event and car club, always around to help and do things that nobody else wanted to do, according to Anderson.
Anderson also gave tribute to the late Ed Jaeger, who was always at the car show. Leanor, his former wife, and sons Bo and Tommy Jaeger had their 1930 DoSoto registered in the event in his memory.
“People come and go. When you look around at all the cars here and
people here, they’re not always going to be there,” Anderson said. “Let’s appreciate each other once again stand up get involved.”
The support for doing an event goes deep, and the “trickle-down effect is unbelievable.” Anderson said. “It’s families getting involved and we really, really appreciate everything they’ve done in the past and today. They’ve helped us enormously and we couldn’t do it without them.”
Giacoletto thanked Anderson Broadcasting for being such a big supporter of the community.
“This next year we are going to have a really nice board of directors and some community involvement. We want to try to get the locals
involved,” Giacoletto said. “We need help. This is a big project.”
Entertainment throughout the Summerfest weekend included the Jimni Live band, who performed at the Best Western KwaTaqNuk Resort Thursday night; a cruise for the car show and performance by the band Dark Horse at Finley Point Grill on Friday; and Sandpiper Art Festival held Saturday on the courthouse lawn. There were also watercraft features on display, a 50/50 raffle drawing; the winner, Jarren Brenner, and a free Bop-a-Dips concert Saturday evening at Riverside Park.
Results:
The winner for best of show went to Candy Johnson of Columbia Falls for her 1928 Dodge five-window coup; best paint went to Bob Linger of Ravensdale, Wash., for his 1932 Ford Coup; best graphic to Jay Arlint of Polson for his 1951 Ford Flatbed; best Ford to Jeff
Stevens of Missoula for his 1959 Skyliner; best Mopar to Steve
Stanley of Polson; and Best GM to Dave Olsen of Kalispell for his 1958 Chevy Nomad.
Winners for best truck category included: best Ford truck to Henry
Westra of Swan Valley for his 1978 Ford Bronco; best Chevy truck
to Mike Kahler of Polson for his 1955 Thunderbird; best
interior to Dan O’Keefe of Butte for his 1957 Chevy; best
motor to Jim Edinger of Missoula for his 1955 Chevy Panel;
best Rat Rod to Kenneth Ensign; best convertible to Kirk
Burris of Polson for his 1970 Oldsmobile convertible.
Winners for rare cars went to Sonny Stotle of Kalispell for
his 1946 Hudson Coup, and Lawrence Magnus of Ronan for
his 1953 Packard Caribbean Convertible. Best camper went to Bob Tarlton of Lolo for his 1929 Ford Roadster.
