AUTOH! tAttention gearheads: Bring your ride to The Big Show with Small Town Charm

he 47th annual St. Ignace Car Show Weekend has become synonymous with summer in the Gateway to the Upper Peninsula.

Stretching for nearly two miles right along the lakeshore, the big All Makes-All Models car show in St. Ignace has by far the best view of any car show in Michigan. And being located just off the Mackinac Bridge at the Gateway to the Upper Peninsula, St. Ignace also has the best location of any car show in the state.

Just a quick ferry ride to Mackinac Island – or a short drive to Tahquamenon Falls, Drummond Island, Munising, Sault Ste. Marie or Manistique –the St. Ignace Car Show Weekend gives you a few days to enjoy both vehicles and a vacation.

“This is a car show plus a vacation,” said Quincy Ranville, event director for the 47th annual St. Ignace Car Show Weekend, scheduled June 22-25. “Aside from Mackinac Island, St. Ignace is pretty central for a lot of northern Michigan activities, not more than an easy day’s drive for a lot of locations.”

The Big Show for almost half a century has been a summertime attraction in St. Ignace, known for its love of automobiles and deep-rooted car culture. The event has grown through the years and attracts upwards of 800 cars of all makes and models, and more than 20,000 visitors who take over the entire downtown for one weekend each year.

The gathering is not only one of the biggest and most beautiful car shows in Michigan, but also one of the oldest and most respected. That’s why it draws vehicles from every nook and cranny across Michigan, around the Midwest and beyond – from vintage beauties to rat rods and everything in between.

“St. Ignace has a population of 2,000 and from the surrounding cities I will pull, like, 60 cool cars,” Ranville said. “How do all these people have these cool cars in this tiny little town?

“It’s kind of just become part of the identity of St. Ignace.”

Here’s a rundown of this year’s events:

• 7 p.m. Thursday, June 22 – Cruise Night kicks off the festivities. Take a spin around town and show off your pride and joy. On-site registration and show vendors are all centrally located right in the heart of downtown this year.

7 p.m. Friday, June 23 – Down Memory Lane Parade with cars and bands. You get to really feel the vibe of a big time car show, and at the same time enjoy the small town charm of St. Ignace.

• 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, June 24

– The Big Show with all makes and all models of cars plus live music, vendors, special guests and fireworks at dusk.

While a lot of car shows are held in parking lots or convention venues, “we shut down our literal main street for, like, 2 miles for 12 hours on that Saturday, and that’s where the cars are all parked,” Ranville said. Register online by June 9, or on-site during the car show weekend. There’s no registration or admission charge for spectators.

• 10 a.m. Sunday, June 25 – Awards

Ceremony with prizes given to the Top 40 show cars, as determined by professional judges. Counting specialty awards, upwards of 50 vehicles will be recognized.

“We want to reward the gearheads that have built their cars in their back garages,” Ranville said.

You can register for this year’s St. Ignace Car Show Weekend at stignace.com.

Registration includes a spot in the show right downtown as well as entry into the Cruise Night and Down Memory Lane Parade. You also get $10 of free slot play at Kewadin Casino and a commemorative car show gift.

Many people also come just to see all the incredible cars, whether they are showing one of their own or not. It’s a great way to spend the whole weekend, or just as one day of a U.P. vacation based in St. Ignace. Either way, book your place to stay in St. Ignace and make plans to be part of one of Michigan’s best outdoor car shows this year.