Car d’Lane Celebrates 25 Years

With all the amazing annual events in our area, it’s hard to imagine that the Car d’Lane cruise and car show is already celebrating its 25th run. The event continues to see more and more classic vehicles, and every year, rain or shine, the community comes out in droves to see these moving pieces of restored American muscle. As one of the bigger shows in the region, you’ll see collector plates from Idaho, Washington, Oregon, Montana, British Columbia and Alberta. Hotels and restaurants are filled with people wanting to take in the sights and sounds of Car d’Lane but also to experience the best time of year in North Idaho.

This year’s event runs Friday, June 19 and Saturday June 20. The cruise will take place Friday night, and if you haven’t had a chance to experience this, mark your calendars. A wide range of pre-1975 classics weave their way slowly through the streets of downtown Coeur d’Alene, taking you back to a time when a tank of gas wasn’t a huge hit to the wallet, and cruising the streets was just what you did on the weekends. The cruise begins around 6pm and usually wraps up around 9pm. You’ll want to get there early, or you’ll be making quite the hike from wherever you can find a parking spot. The route begins heading west on Lakeside starting at 8th Street. Cars then turn north on 4th Street for a few blocks before heading west again on Wallace. The cruise then heads south on 2nd Street before turning east on to Sherman and back to 8th Street. Be prepared to see some of the coolest rides in the west, and unlike many other shows, you’ll actually get to hear the engines firing up and see the cars slowly cruise by.

To get an up-close look at all the collectors, come back down on Saturday as both sides of Sherman Avenue will be lined with hotrods, restored farm trucks, custom creations and fully original American classics. Most of the car owners are on hand and are more than happy to tell their vehicle’s story or answer questions if you’re looking to get into restoring vehicles yourself. This is a great time to talk rides even if you don’t really know what you’re talking about! Whether you’re a seasoned mechanic or don’t even know how to change up your washer fluid, it promises to be fun for the whole family. You can show your kids the cars you drove as a teenager and watch them roll their eyes when you tell them you only paid a couple thousand bucks for that ride.

As always, there is plenty to eat and drink, and don’t forget to check out the annual swap meet that takes place from 8am to 4pm both Friday and Saturday. Here you’ll find plenty of auto-related merchandise for sale and even a few cars as well. Judges will be on hand Saturday inspecting the vehicles, and you can see who brings home the hardware when trophies are handed out at 4pm on Saturday. For more information or registration forms visit www.cdadowntown.com.

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