Classic boat and car fans revved up for La Conner's annual show

Not all roads lead to La Conner, but enough do to support the full fleet of vintage cars, trucks and trailered boats that rolled into town last Saturday.

There were over 125 entries in the 24th annual La Conner Classic Boat and Car Show in the La Conner Marina's south basin parking lot, drawing throngs of admirers on a picture postcard bright sunny summer day.

Conditions were ideal for folks to merge onto Memory Lane and listen to golden oldies over the event's outdoor sound system while time traveling to bygone eras defined by stylish vehicles and vessels from yesteryear.

The parking lot was filled with gleaming cars and trucks spanning nine decades, from Ford Model Ts to Swinging 60s British sports cars and on through and beyond Detroit's muscle car period.

Parked next to the Swinomish Yacht Club building and moored at docks on the Swinomish Channel waterfront were several sleek pleasure craft, including a 1958 Skagit 20 Express Cruiser built by La Conner's famed Skagit Plastics firm that produced a variety of innovative and popular fiberglass models in the 1950s and 1960s.

Between browsing the show and sharing yarns with fellow car and boat enthusiasts, folks visited canopied food and service vendors, among them members of Skagit Bay Search & Rescue and the La Conner Rotary and Kiwanis clubs.

A good time was had by all.

"Next year," one show fan could be heard saying as he strolled past a 1966 Sunbeam Tiger, an iconic British two-seat roadster, "we're gonna have to get here four hours earlier."

That seemed to be a consensus view.

"The weather couldn't be better," La Conner Chamber of Commerce Director Mark Hulst exclaimed as late morning morphed into early afternoon. "We had rain all last weekend, but today it's perfect – warm and sunny, but not too hot."

Hulst praised a committee chaired by Tami Mason for recruiting a deep lineup of car and boat owners to enter the La Conner show.

"They did a great job getting the word out," said Hulst, who likewise expressed appreciation for event volunteers, whose ranks included La Conner's mayor, Marna Hanneman; Administrator Scott Thomas; and Councilmember Rick Dole, who cruises locally in his 1928 "Ghost of Tom Joad" pickup.

At the show's end, 19 awards was presented. Dr. Robert Sperry, of La Conner, was a winner with his 1925 Ford Model T. It was judged the best pre-1930s entry.

The Skagit 20, reflective of a unique period in La Conner's maritime history, was deemed the best trailered boat.

Hulst afterward called the entire La Conner community a winner, referring to a potential economic ripple effect in town resulting from large numbers of people attending.

"There were lots of people who were coming into town throughout the day," Hulst said.

While he can't forecast the weather, Hulst is optimistic next year's event will shine, too, for 2025 marks the show's silver anniversary.

For now, organizers of and participants this year can – if only briefly – rest on their laurels.

"Without your participation," said Hulst, "this show wouldn't be as fantastic as it is.