By Steve Hubrecht 

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Classic car lovers rev your engines: the Columbia Valley Classic Show and Shine is back.

The vintage car show is one of the biggest events not only in the Village of Radium Hot Springs but in the entire Columbia Valley. Most years it attracts around 1,000 classic car owners — 800 registered participants, as well as a couple hundred more classic car owners who don’t bother to register but visit the valley anyway to join in the festive atmosphere.

“We’re hoping we get a great show, like we usually do,” said Columbia Valley Classic Car Club member Pete Jensen.

The main car show will be at the driving range on the Springs Golf Course in Radium from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 21. The sheer array of vintage vehicles on display is amazing, and are well worth checking out even if you’re not a classic car enthusiast. And if you are a classic car buff, well, you don’t need the Pioneer to tell you that the Show and Shine is an event not to be missed.

This year is the 34th edition of the annual event.

But there’s a lot more to the weekend than just the main event. The Columbia Valley Classic Poker Run will be held the day before on Friday, Sept. 20, and will have classic car drivers zooming up and down the valley between Edgewater and Fairmont Hot Springs. The Poker Run will involve seven stops; at each stop participants will get one playing card. They then use their best five cards as their poker hand. The best will win prizes.

From 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. on September 20, Radium will have its weekly Market on Main farmers’ market, with live entertainment and local vendors.

The Radium fire department will be running a pancake breakfast at Radium Hot Springs Centre on September 21 from 7 to 10 a.m. before the car show starts.

After the Show and Shine finishes many of the classic car owners will do an unofficial cruise down to Invermere to drive through the town and pass by the seniors living facilities there, including Ivy House and Columbia Garden Village.

“It’s something some (of the classic car owners) have done for the past few years. They (the seniors homes) asked us if we could do it, and we’re happy to. A lot of the seniors like to watch the cars come by. It might be a nostalgia thing,” said Jensen. “Probably a lot of them used to have cars like the ones we are driving.”

New this year, the Classic Car Club is making a calendar in conjunction with the Show and Shine. It will feature classic cars parked in front of Radium businesses.

On the Saturday evening, there will be a free Rockin’ in the Park concert at Radium’s Legends Field from 6 to 8 p.m. featuring Tryg Strand and the band.

Registration for the Show and Shine is from 7 to 9 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 20 at Radium Hot Springs Centre.

“All the hotels are full, from what I hear. That’s a good sign,” said Jensen. “Everyone in the village benefits from the show. The accommodators, the gas stations, the restaurants, the grocery store. It’s good for Radium.”

For more information about the event visit columbiavalleyclassics.ca.