Car show, art festival, brew fest draw crowds to downtown Polson
Bethany Dietz photo
olson’s closed off Main Street was filled with classic cars, live music, a brewfest and crowds of people enjoying the festivities last Saturday.
Bethany Dietz photos
Art Festival
Bethany Dietz photo
Car Show
Bethany Dietz photo
Brew Fest
Bethany Dietz photo
Artist Nancy Zadra paints flowers on a canvas at her booth during the 52nd annual Sandpiper Art Festival held on the county courhouse lawn.
Bethany Dietz photos
This year’s car show awards, handmade by Valley Cruisers Car Club members, were some of the most unique yet.
Bethany Dietz photos
Polson Rotary Brew Fest
Valley Cruisers Car Show,
Bethany Dietz photos
Car Show
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The Lake County Courthouse Lawn came alive last Saturday with art, music and people during 52nd annual Sandpiper Art Festival. Presented by the Sandpiper Art Gallery, the event spanned from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. This year’s festival featured a varied lineup of regional fine art, artisans, crafters and live music. Attendees perused an eclectic range of mediums such as glass, pottery, paintings, jewelry, and metal firepits in the near 60 booths. The festival’s proceeds will be channeled toward scholarships for art students in Sanders and Lake County pursuing careers in the professional art industry. Additionally, the event contributed to art workshops benefiting local youth. This year’s festival paid homage to the late Ken Hansen through a live auction featuring his work.
Polson Rotary Brew Fest
Taking place from noon to 4 in front of the Elks Club on Main Street, Polson Rotary orchestrated a brew fest on the same day. Attendees enjoyed live music courtesy of Hellcat Maggie while supporting a range of local causes through raffle ticket purchases and sampling local brews.
Featured Breweries included: Flathead Lake Brewing Co., Glacier Brewery, Ronan Coop Brewery, Tamarack Brewery and Bias Brewing.
Proceeds from this year’s event will support: second and third-grade swim safety classes, Polson Youth Soccer, and sixth-grade girls’ basketball team. Raffle prizes included groceries, meat, golf passes, propane, fitness packages and cash.
Mission Valley Cruisers Car Show
Mission Valley Cruisers hosted their annual car show from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Polson’s Main Street. The well-established event, which began in 2001, drew 178 entries from across North America, spanning Canada, Florida, and Idaho, among other places. This year, the club introduced the “Mission Valley Cruisers Scholarship Fund,” aimed at supporting a senior high school student from Lake County entering the automobile industry. While typically club members’ cars are not up for award consideration, a new category was made this year. The “Club Choice” award recognized the most unique car, adding a new twist to the event.
Shelly Cordis, marketing director for the Mission Valley Cruisers, expressed that this year’s trophies were the most unique yet. “The club made all of the trophies and this year’s were the craziest they have ever been,” she said.
The winners were celebrated in a winner’s circle at 2 p.m., with the top 10 cars and standout award recipients recognized.
Results:
Top 10 Winners:
Marty Barger from Havre, 1934 Chevy Standard
Dennis Black from Arlee, 1947 GMC COE
Joe Baumgardner from Polson, 1932 Chevy Coupe
Candy Johnson from Columbia Falls, 1928 Dodge 5 Window Couple
Mark Sanders from Polson, 1959 Chevy 3100
Jim Tebay from Bigfork, 1968 Chevy Camaro
Craig Eaton from Rollins, 1956 Chevy BelAir
Mike Wilson from Victor, Chevy C-10
Paul Tolonon from Kalispell, 1966 Chevy Chevelle
Tim Bagnell from Polson, 1967 Chevy El Camino
Club’s Choice Award:
Nikki Shrader from Stevensville, 1930 Ford Model A
Best of Show:
Ron McDowell from Rollins, 1960 Chevy Corvette
