Visit The Hot Rod and Custom Showcase

Make your way into the arena to see a showcase of amazing customs and hotrods from mild to wild.

These unique vehicles are personalized expressions of each owner’s style and preferences for everything from looks to performance. They are a true statement of individuality and stand out as art on wheels with eye-catching paint jobs, custom interiors, custom wheels, and meticulously detailed engine bays.

Of course, every unique ride has a story. So, stop by, say hello to the owners, and check out the rides.

Check OUT The Cosmic Cruiser

This outrageous 34 ft (10.3 meters) van is six feet tall (1.8 meters) with multiple hand painted murals and it has to be seen to be believed. It’s been around for decades and featured as a highlight at car shows all over the world, collecting multiple awards along the way for Canadian owner and artist Ivan Benic.

Ivan started working on the Cosmic Cruiser in 1974 when he purchased a Chevy Van. He cut it in half to add length and accommodate a new roof from a 1969 Vista Cruiser. He added two axles, did all the bodywork modifications himself, including a custom nose he created in one night. Inside, he built a custom interior with a huge sofa, a skylight, and more than enough space to relax in after a long day at a car show. By 1977 Ivan was ready to show the Cosmic Cruiser to the world and he has been driving it to shows in the U.S. and Canada ever since.

Sitting on eight-wheels and weighing in at a hefty 10,400 lbs (4,717 kg), this unique build cruises along at highway speeds thanks to a 400 hp engine. Ivan says it still handles very well after all these years, and it always attracts a crowd wherever it goes.

Make sure to stop by, say hello Ivan, and check out The Cosmic Cruiser. You’ll be glad you did.

WATCH A LIVE PINSTRIPING DEMO BY A MASTER ARTIST

Make sure to take a moment at the show to meet one of Canada’s leading custom paint artists. World-renowned pinstripe, airbrush, and graphics artist Ron Gibbs will be on-site with samples of his work, a pinstriping demonstration, and countless stories about some of the amazing rides he’s worked on.

With clients across Canada and the U.S., Ron is a rock star in the world of custom pinstriping and airbrushing for cars, trucks, and motorcycles. He is known as “The Canadian Rat Fink” as an homage to the late Ed (Big Daddy) Roth, one of the originators of airbrushing, pinstriping, and the Kustom Paint Kulture.

AWARD WINNER

Ron has been featured in many automotive and airbrush/custom paint magazines on both sides of the border. And he has been a guest on many TV shows, including Dream Car Garage, Counting Cars, and The Rick Mercer Show.

Ron has won almost every custom paint award at shows throughout North America. In 2018, he was the first Canadian to receive the Prestigious Painter Award at the annual Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) show in Las Vegas. He has also won the Best Paint award eight years in a row at the Canadian Truck Nationals.

Today, Ron continues to be a regular at the annual SEMA show in Las Vegas where he presents live demos. He has painted over 25 SEMA show vehicles for major car manufactures, including Ford, GM, Chrysler, and Mercedes. 

And his past projects also include work for NASCAR, Jack Roush, Joe Gibbs, Rick Hendrick, and Chip Foose.

TECHNIQUE TEACHER

Ron is also the only Canadian in a group of 14 airbrush artists and custom painters from around the world known as the ASET Air Affair Group. As part of the group, Ron is a regular at the annual ASET airbrush and custom paint show in Salt Lake City, Utah, where he demonstrates and teaches air brushing techniques.

LISTEN TO THE RETRO KINGS

Check out the cars to the music of the Retro Kings.

The Retro Kings is a local, classic, folk/rock band that has been performing in Eastern Ontario for several years. The band performs three-part harmonies and plays a variety of music from the ‘60s, ‘70s, ‘80s and beyond, including the hits of: the Bee Geez, CSNY, Elvis, Beatles, Eagles, Paul Simon, Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash, Neil Young, Doobie Brothers, Michel Pagliaro, Rolling Stones, Van Morrison, Tom Petty, James Taylor, JJ Cale, John Denver, plus a special Canadian showcase…and much more!

The band also plays original music and is currently on a Canada-wide tour to promote its newest album. Retro Kings hits such as “Head in the Clouds”, “80 Days to go”, “A Real Holiday”, and “Emily”, which are featured on local radio and Spotify, will be played between your favourite retro tunes!

The Retro Kings will take the stage for a four-hour musical journey beginning at 10:00 a.m. Don’t miss it!

Stay For A Musical Weekend

If you’re in Westport for the weekend, make your way from the car show to The Cove Inn Saturday evening to cap off the day with a performance by Young Petty Stones, featuring music from…well, Neil Young, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, and the Rolling Stones. 

Get more info here.

Learn About Electric Vehicles

Stop by the Electric Vehicle Council of Ottawa (EVCO) booth to learn about electric vehicles as viable transportation alternatives that are ecological, economical, practical, and available now. 

Members of EVCO will be on hand for informative discussions, presentations, and test drives. 

GET A PHOTO WITH A RACE CAR

Get up close to a real dirt track race car.

This working race car from the Brockville Ontario Speedway will be on site between 9:00 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. along with its owner and driver, Patrick Kudrinko. It’s one thing to see these cars in photos and videos, or from the stands, but it’s a whole other experience checking it out up close.

Bring your camera and get a photo!