Langley Good Times Cruise-In a significant community event
Frank Bucholtz photo
Some of the most unusual and rare cars displayed at the Langley Good Times Cruise-In are on display each year at Douglas Park. This Duesenberg was on display there in 2011.
The Langley Good Times Cruise-In is a hugely significant
community event. It has grown from small beginnings along the one-way portion
of Fraser Highway to its present size because it fills a need for a large car
show in a superb viewing venue, and because it is supportive of so many local
charities.
The Cruise-In board, many of whom have been working on this annual
event for years, do so because of their love of the community. This intersects
with their passion for restoring, driving and displaying collector vehicles,
and for promoting the City of Langley. A large number of volunteers make the
show happen each year, and the city has been very supportive and helpful as
well. A hiccup over policing costs was quickly resolved by the City last week.
As with all successful events, predators try and piggyback
on the success. In 2014, organizers first noticed that there were a few
scalpers lining up for tickets at the popular In-N-Out Burger food concession.
Last year, there were many more.
In-N-Out Burgers is a California-based chain that can only
be found in certain U.S. states – none of which are anywhere close to Canada.
For a good number of years, the chain has brought its In-N-Out Burger Cookout
Trailer north to be part of Cruise-In. It has donated significant funds to the
charity and made a lot of friends with its good food. It fits in perfectly with
the Cruise-In theme.
Unfortunately, there is always a limited number of burgers
that the concession can sell, as In-N-Out brings most of its supplies with its
truck. As Cruise-In has become more popular, and word of mouth about In-N-Out
gets around, that boosts demand. Lineups at In-N-Out are consistently long.
Scalpers last year were buying 25 tickets at a time for
burgers and then reselling them as the day went on for up to three times what
they had paid. This is unconscionable, but it speaks to how greed is always
present in some people’s hearts.
Cruise-In organizers are putting a stop to it this year. Anyone
who has met members of the organizing committee knows that they mean business,
so this year the number of tickets that anyone can purchase will be limited –
probably to four or six tickets. This is a good move and will give as many
people as possible a chance to enjoy an In-N-Out burger.
Some people have wondered why the chain simply doesn’t sell
more burgers at Cruise-In. The main reason is that it brings its own supplies
here, and can only bring along so much on what is a lengthy trip to get here. It
may be possible that there are also issues at the border which prevent In-N-Out
from bringing more, but that’s just speculation on my part.
The company has been a huge contributor to Cruise-In, both
to the bottom line and to the general atmosphere of the show.
Cruise-In is bringing back a very popular feature of past
events this year. On the Friday night before the show (Sept. 9), there will
again be an outdoor movie night at the Twilight Drive-In in Aldergrove, along
with a sock hop. This has been a great event in the past – people in the show
driving their vintage cars to experience a drive-in movie, something that is a
real rarity today. People along the route from Langley City to Aldergrove have
gathered, just to see the parade of cars.
The theme of this year’s Friday event is American Graffiti Returns, and the event is sponsored by the Ron Dunkley Memorial Society, a
Langley-based charity.
The car show itself takes place on the streets of Langley
City on Saturday, Sept. 10. It is always worth a visit. While many of the cars
on display belong to people who are regular attendees, there are always some
new and very interesting displays. There is plenty of entertainment, and the
overall atmosphere is one of relaxation and enthusiasm for a golden era.
The organizers work very hard to make each show special and
unique, and for some reason, they almost always hold the event on what turns
out to be a warm, sunny day. The combination is irresistible.
This year’s Cruise-In sounds like it will be as good as
ever, and it’s a safe bet that many Langley residents will be there to see the
show.
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