Weather forecasters are predicting temperatures in the low 90s for Saturday, along with generally clear skies – pretty much picture perfect weather for the annual Escalon Lions Club Autumn Cruise.
The downtown show, staged in the city’s Main Street Park, is scheduled on Saturday, Sept. 9 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and will feature not only hundreds of classic cars on display but also food, music, raffle drawings, trophy presentations and more.
This year is the 24th annual cruise; it has been sponsored by the Escalon Lions Club since its inception and has provided hundreds of scholarships for Escalon High School students over the years, totaling well over $250,000.
Auto enthusiasts from around the region come for the show and many have also participated in a number of the Friday night ‘Pre-Cruise’ events that were hosted throughout the summer at Hula’s on Jackson Avenue.
Co-organizer John Salvin said it was a bit of a tough summer; triple digit heat was frequent and in fact was also in evidence for the final Friday night event on Sept. 1.
Still, the advance registration for the car show was close to 200 vehicles and Salvin said they always get some the final few days before the Saturday event and also take ‘day of’ registrations. The car show consistently features more than 300 vehicles of all makes and models, from cars to trucks, motorcycles to an occasional boat. Some have been restored to pristine condition; others are in process but all come with a story.
A breakfast is available for purchase from the local American Legion Post 263 and Legion Riders at the Grange Hall the morning of the downtown cruise, while the Lions Club serves up a lunch. There will also be a variety of vendors on hand for the day.
Offering plenty of opportunities for car buffs and visitors to the show to talk shop, Salvin said Lions Club members also want to continue their goal of giving back to the community through the event.
“Last year, we gave out 18 scholarships, worth $1,500 each, to graduating Escalon High School seniors,” Salvin noted. “Everything we make goes back to the community in some way.”
