11th annual classic car show opens in Bigfork
Classic cars line up outside VFW Post 4042 in Bigfork. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
A 1957 Chevy Bel Air owned by David Skrivanich, of Gig Harbor, Washington, outside VFW Post 4042 in Bigfork. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Classic cars, including Dennis Andersen’s purple 1940 Ford, line up outside VFW Post 4042 in Bigfork before the poker run around Flathead Lake. for the 11th annual Rumble in the Bay car, truck and motorcycle show on Saturday morning. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Classic car owners register for the poker run around Flathead Lake outside VFW Post 4042 in Bigfork for the 11th annual Rumble in the Bay car, truck and motorcycle show on Saturday morning. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Dennis Andersen, of Tacoma, Washington, holds a photo of his 1940 Ford before he fully restored it outside VFW Post 4042 in Bigfork. Andersen said he spent about 10 years customizing and restoring the two-door sedan. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Classic cars line up outside VFW Post 4042 in Bigfork before the poker run around Flathead Lake for the 11th annual Rumble in the Bay car, truck and motorcycle show on Saturday morning. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Classic cars line up outside VFW Post 4042 in Bigfork before the poker run around Flathead Lake for the 11th annual Rumble in the Bay car, truck and motorcycle show on Saturday morning. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Classic cars line up outside VFW Post 4042 in Bigfork before the poker run around Flathead Lake for the 11th annual Rumble in the Bay car, truck and motorcycle show on Saturday morning. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Classic cars line up outside VFW Post 4042 in Bigfork before the poker run around Flathead Lake for the 11th annual Rumble in the Bay car, truck and motorcycle show on Saturday morning. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
A Chevy Nova Super Sport with a big-block 396 cubic inch engine outside VFW Post 4042 in Bigfork before the poker run around Flathead Lake for the 11th annual Rumble in the Bay car, truck and motorcycle show on Saturday morning. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Bigfork’s 11th Annual “Rumble in the Bay” kicked off Saturday morning at the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 4042.
Classic cars, trucks and motorcycles got things off and running with a poker run that stopped at various locations around Flathead Lake before ending at the new VFW building, which was the old Masonic Lodge, in Bigfork.
“Rumble in the Bay” is a committee that was organized to raise funds for Post 4042, a nonprofit charitable veterans’ organization.
Its purpose is to involve the local community, including businesses, volunteers and veterans, in coordinating a car show each year, and to engage the larger community in attending the event. Its mission is donate the money raised by Post 4042 to benefit local veterans and the charitable causes sponsored by VFW.
“Our work benefits the veterans’ food pantries in Bigfork and Kalispell, the Veteran’s Home in Columbia Falls, Camp Patriot in the Yaak, the ACES Afterschool Program, the VFW’s ‘Place of Democracy’ and ‘Patriot’s Pen’ school competitions, the Boy Scout Troop and others,” said John Boyles, co-chairman of “Rumble in the Bay.”
“Every dollar we make from this event goes to the charities we support. Last year, we made about $6,000 and we’re hoping to do better this year.”
Post 4042 also gives a $500 technical school scholarship to one area student.
Sunday, the Rumble in the Bay Car Show will take place in downtown Bigfork on Electric Avenue, beginning at 9 a.m. It will feature more than 300 vehicles, making it one of the largest car shows in Montana. The event was featured on Dennis Gage’s “My Classic Cars” show (season 21, episode 13) in 2016.
Since 2012, “Rumble in the Bay” has been owned and operated by the Veterans at Bigfork VFW Post 4042.
In addition to the vehicles, food vendors, T-shirt sales and businesses in Bigfork will be open for the car show. There will be numerous raffle prizes, 50-50 raffles and more.
The event is open to the public and appropriate for all ages. Admission for spectators is free. There’s a $30 registration fee to show a vehicle Sunday.
Co-chair Jesse Gonzales said the goal was to always keep it a local affair.
“We encouraged our businesses to be open and they have really done well. There are anywhere from 3,000 to 5,000 people that come in, so it’s very busy,” Gonzales said. “We also have area businesses printing our T-shirts, local artist Eric Thorsen creates the original and signed trophy awards that are presented.”
The awards ceremony will be at 2 p.m. in front of the Bigfork Summer Playhouse. Shops and restaurants will be open.
The Bigfork Rumble Over the Bay Fly-in at Ferndale Airport in Bigfork will also take place Sunday.
Fly-in starts at 8 a.m. with a pancake breakfast that runs until noon.
There is a free shuttle bus that runs between the Ferndale Airport and downtown Bigfork for the car show.
Gonzales recommended avoiding traffic congestion by parking at the airport and taking the shuttle to downtown.
For more information, visit https://bigforkrumble.com, email BigforkRumble@gmail.com or call 406-260-8385.
Reporter Scott Shindledecker can be reached at (406) 758-4441 or sshindledecker@dailyinterlake.com.