Every weekend, from Benton City to Pasco, there’s a car show taking place somewhere in the region. Some shows attract hundreds of cars from all over the Northwest, while others may only have a few dozen on display. But all the shows attract a lot of viewers who ooh and ahh over the vehicles.
Some Mid-Columbia show ‘n shines specialize in specific vehicles, such as Mustangs or Mopars. But even there, car enthusiasts will still find other vehicles to tempt their eyes.
Car Show Season Starts in April
The car show season starts in April at a school playground in Benton City. Throughout the season, car shows are held in Columbia Park and the Downtown Parkade in Kennewick, TRAC off I-182 in Pasco, Howard Amon Park in Richland, and lots of places in-between.
The smallest of the car shows is an informal gathering of proud car owners at Wendy’s on Canal Drive in Kennewick. Car owners just show up at the fast food restaurant between 5:30 and 7:30 every Friday night. It’s a chance for owners to show off their latest acquisitions or talk about the progress they’re making in restoring a vehicle. Mostly they come to swap stories and socialize, but it’s open to anyone who just wants to admire some pretty snazzy vehicles. Even new cars are on display.
Cool Desert Nights Is Biggest Show of Season
The biggest car show of the season, which attracts vehicles from all over the Pacific Northwest, is Cool Desert Nights in Richland. Held annually in June, the show has expanded to three days for classic cars and street rods.
Cool Desert Nights will be June 23-25 in 2012 at the Uptown Shopping Center in Richland. There are two nights of cruisin’ Richland streets, a pancake breakfast on Saturday morning, two nights of street dances, and a show ‘n shine at the shopping center’s parking lot on Saturday. Also planned for Saturday are slow drag races on George Washington Way, Richland’s main street.
'Hogs & Dogs' Is For Motorcyclists
“Hogs & Dogs” is an event for motorcyclists in nearby West Richland which is always held the opening Thursday of Cool Desert Nights.“Hogs & Dogs” started out as a hot dog feed for Harley motorcyclists, but now attracts everything on two wheels from 50cc scooters to 1700 Yamahas.
Now held at the Bombing Range Sports Complex in West Richland, it still has the traditional hot dog feed, but also has live music, a beer garden and motorcycle-related vendors. Hogs & Dogs is sponsored by the West Richland Chamber of Commerce as well as a number of local businesses.
Summer weekends will also see classic car owners headed out to shows in Dayton, Walla Walla, Moses Lake, Othello, Yakima and Soap Lake, all within a couple of hours drive from the Tri-Cities.
Cheryl Probst - Cheryl Probst is an award-winning photojournalist who specializes in writing about motorcycles, China and the Pacific Northwest.
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