28th Annual Verona Car Show – on September 16

Jeff Green | Sep 06, 2023

Mark this date in your calendar: Saturday, September 16. After 26 years as a feature event in August, and one in September 2021, the car show is permanently moving to the middle Saturday in September. This year it is on the 16th.

Organisers John and Julie Nizman, who own Last Chance Auto, in Yarker, and work with the Verona Lions to put on the show, said that the hot weather on the show day on August 7th last year, was the last straw, and they decided that September would be a better time to host the show.

Many of the positive changes to the festival of recent years, will carry forward this year. Thanks to Fielding’s OK Tire, the Trevor Walsh Group is back by popular demand. The beer tent, supplied exclusively by Harrowsmith Brewery, will be located in the canteen area this year, and the Lions canteen will include the iconic Lions fare that has been a local favourite for years and years. In the hall there will be something new this year: an artisan and vendor’s show.

The Kids Fun Zone will be back, thanks to support from Revell Ford Lincoln.

And, of course, there will be cars.

“We never know how many cars will make the trip, but we are hopeful to approach our record number, which was 314. And the general quality that we attract is always very high. Judging from the inquiries we have received, we believe we will see a very good turnout this year as well,” said Nizman.

The Lions are only able to put on the show because of the strong crew of volunteers who come out to help, including some from the South Frontenac Museum, and members of the Frontenac Fury Girls Hockey team, this year.

“We also always celebrate Ed Asselstine, the founder of the show,” said Nizman, “by awarding the Ed Asselstine Best in Show award. It’s always great to have Ed with us.

The show is a major fundraiser for the Lions, raising between $13,000 and $15,000 each year, and sometimes a bit more, making it one of the largest charity events in South Frontenac in terms of money raised.

The money that is raised is all donated to local causes by the Lions Club.

(Note - that print article on September 7, and a previous version of this article, had the incorrect day of the week for this event.)