22 // COASTWEEKEND.COM
Wheels and Waves kicks into gear
Seaside car show
runs Sept. 7-10
By KATHERINE LACAZE
FOR COAST WEEKEND
A
s summer draws to a
close, Seaside will once
again provide the back-
drop for a gathering of vintage
car enthusiasts who enjoy a
little sand and surf with their
hot rods and convertibles.
Scheduled in September,
part of the “shoulder season,”
the Seaside Downtown Devel-
opment Association’s annual
Wheels and Waves car show
prompts visitors and locals to
visit downtown and celebrate
show-quality cars manufac-
tured in 1965 or earlier.
“It’s hard to think of it
as being in the off-season,
because it’s so busy now that
everybody thinks it’s still
SUBMITTED PHOTOS
The annual Wheels and Waves car show, presented by the Seaside Downtown Development
Association, is a celebration of show-quality vehicles made in 1965 or earlier.
summer — but it wouldn’t (be
busy) without the car show,”
said Keith Chandler, chair of
Friday and Saturday. The orga-
nization was given a van that’s
been painted matte black and
primed for children to decorate
with chalk art throughout the
event. The Kid Zone will offer
drawing sheets as well.
SDDA’s Car Show Commit-
tee.
This year’s Wheels and
Waves is scheduled for Thurs-
day through Sunday, Sept. 7
through 10, and will feature all
the traditional festivities: the
Coastline Poker Run, Thurs-
day afternoon’s Senior Cruise
to Seaside’s three retirement
facilities, and the Downtown
Cruise.
However, the development
association is constantly look-
ing to add new features, and
this year is no different, said
Sarah Dailey, the organiza-
tion’s executive director.
For families with young
children, the event will include
a Kid Zone in Sponsor Alley,
set up on North Edgewood
Street from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Slow drag demo
Organizers are especially
looking forward to what’s
coming Sunday morning: a
trial run of slow drag racing.
The demonstration will take
place at 10 a.m. Sunday along
Edgewood and Oceanway
streets, behind the Seaside
Civic & Convention Center.
In short, slow drag racing
involves drivers — two cars
at a time — revving their
engines, accelerating for a set
distance, and then coasting to
20
LANDSCAPE $
BARK
(U-HAUL)
per yard
WARRENTON FIBER
861-3305
Mon-Fri, 8 am -5 pm
389 NW 13 th St.
Warrenton
ABOVE: The public is invited
to view the cars at this year’s
Wheels and Waves from 7 a.m.
to 6 p.m. Friday and Saturday,
and from 9 a.m. to noon Sunday.
LEFT: During the annual Wheels
and Waves car show, car owners
sometimes go all out, creating
themes centered around their
special vehicles.
get the front wheels and axle
over the finish line, without
going too far. The catch is they
must slow down without using
brakes.
Various ways to accom-
plish that feat include opening
the vehicle’s doors; sticking
umbrellas or blankets out the
window; or whatever other
creative ideas racers can
generate.
This year, SDDA is hoping
to recruit 10 to 12 car owners
during registration who are
willing to take part in the
demonstration. By next year,
the organization plans to
establish a specific set of rules
regarding the slow drag, as it
will be a competitive event
anyone can enter, Dailey said.
She added that, in general,
they want to expand the offer-
ings Sunday mornings to en-
ergize the crowd and increase
the value of staying in Seaside
the extra Saturday night.
“We’re trying to add more
interesting things for both the
car participants and for the
spectators,” she said.
Detailing the event
During Wheels and Waves,
Broadway, from Holladay
Drive to the Turnaround, and
portions of connecting streets
will be closed to general motor
vehicle traffic until after the
Downtown Cruise, which
takes place from 5 to 5:45 p.m.
Saturday.
The public can view cars
for free during the Show &
Shine, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday
and Saturday, and from 9 a.m.
to 2 p.m. Sunday.
Live music will be provid-
ed by The King Brothers, a
band from Kelso, Washington,
that plays rock n’ roll oldies
from the ’50s through ’70s.
They will perform on the street
outside Dundee’s Bar & Grill.
The organizers feel several
various components create the
car show people have come to
know and love.
“You got the setting in
downtown, which is fantastic;
you got some spectacular cars;
and what I like is listening
to the crowd,” Chandler
said, adding, “There is a lot
of reminiscing going on …
It’s just a fun time, a friendly
atmosphere, and at a very
reasonable price.” CW
