It’s the 7th annual ‘Wheels on the Waterfront” event
By Barb Pert Templeton
If it’s got a motor, we want to see it.
Those words from Ron Steward, president of Mainstreet Memories Car Show Inc., aptly describe the annual car show hosted at Acheson Ventures waterfront property in Port Huron. The show boasts hundreds of vehicles including cars, boats, motorcycles and RVs.
“We are open to all, we don’t turn anyone away for this,” Steward said. “All years, makes, and models are welcome.”
Always held on the last Saturday in July, the 7th Annual Wheels on the Waterfront Show, hosted by Mainstreet Memories, will be held this Saturday, July 29, 2023 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. In addition to all the vehicles, there will be 40 vendors, with 14 of them selling food and beverages to the crowd.
Mainstreet Memories Car Show, Inc. anticipates having over 1,000 vehicles registered for this year’s show on Saturday.
In addition, this year organizers invite everyone to “Step Back in Time” by featuring a special display of pre-48 Vintage Hotrods.
Steward said they are expecting their biggest registered turnout yet, anticipating 1,000 vehicles pulled up along the water. Pre-registration for vehicles has passed but same-day participants who want to be in the show will pay a $20 entry fee. Admission for spectators is free.
“There’s no judging for this we just want people to come down, relax and have a good time,” Steward said.
This weekend’s show will be the third one hosted along the waterfront as the group previously held the event on Main Street downtown. Steward said when the car registrations exceeded 500 in 2019 organizers decided they needed to move in order to let the event continue to grow.
“We were really just running out of room,” he added, noting that moving the event also eliminated an annual $4,500 fee that had to be paid to close Main Street for the shows those first four years.
All years, makes, and models are welcomed to take part in the 7th Annual Wheels on the Water show this weekend.
Utilizing property owned by Acheson Ventures has proved to be a great location for the event now and there’s no charge to do so, Steward said.
“That’s one reason we do so well, the venue, it’s on the waterfront and there’s a nice breeze and you can just sit and watch the freighters go by,” Steward said.
There’s a 12-person board of directors who spend months planning and organizing the annual car show and about 60 volunteers show up to help out on the day of the event. Each year the planning gets a little easier and the group is all about learning lessons and ways for improving things. They are particularly grateful for their devoted sponsors who return year after year, Steward said.
“We are the fastest growing car show in the Blue Water area, there’s no other car show that has 1,000 cars,” he said.
All proceeds from the event, after expenses are paid, go to the St. Clair County Council on Aging, an agency that supports all senior citizens in St. Clair County. To date the event has donated $103,000 to the Council on Aging.
As Steward looks to the next few days fraught with final setup and organizing for the popular show, he’s hoping for a little outside assistance to make the show run smoothly on Saturday.
“As long as mother nature is on our side and we have sunny skies it’s going to be a great show,” he said.
For more information about the event visit mainstreetmemoriesph.com.
