Auto appreciators cruise into Treasure Valley car shows

(EDITOR’S NOTE: This story originally published in the 2024-2025 Treasure Valley Living, a publication of Idaho Business Review.)

They’re like mobile museums. Vintage and classic automobiles that can take car enthusiasts for a never-ending, four-wheel cruise down memory lane.

And all it takes is a single gathering spot filled with dozens, if not hundreds of original and often precisely restored vehicles to manufacture this self-contained environment of car-driven nostalgia, a uniquely American tradition simply known as the car show.

Whether stirring up memories or providing opportunities to swap stories or discuss restoration projects and tips, these mechanical works of art, when grouped in one location, provide spectators a rare and intriguing glimpse into the world of automotive history.

From downtown Boise to the Cherry Festival in Emmett, a multitude of these impromptu parking lots spring up often, and in many cases annually, in communities across the Treasure Valley, providing a backdrop to showcase the styles, designs, sounds and smells that encompass decades of automaking magic.

Some of the many other car shows that check the list of annual auto celebrations valley-wide include: Eagle Fun Days; the Middleton 4th of July Car Show; the Family Fun Day and Car Show at Meridian Crossings; Don’s Supreme Show and Shine at the historic Westside Drive In; the annual Classic Car Show hosted by The Eagle, FM 96.9, KKGL; the City of Meridian Oktoberfest Car Show, and Cruising for a Cause, Saving Paws car show at Hawks Memorial Stadium.

During the annual Cherry Festival in Emmett, about 110 cars can be found dotting Main Street in the city’s downtown, while on the third Saturday each July, the Emmett Lions Club sponsors its yearly Emmett Show & Shine.

Now 18 years running, the event features as many as 1,000 vehicles spread across the entire city park. No entry fees are collected, as the service group hosts a pancake breakfast and afternoon barbecue to raise money for local causes.

Lions Club member Mike Kreiter, an Emmett resident since 1983, strongly believes the car exhibits help “preserve automotive history” while bringing together generations of admirers.

“I think a lot of it has to do with the nostalgia of these types of events,” Kreiter said. “It certainly is for me. I remember seeing these cars when I was growing up and now I own four of them.

The roster of classic vehicles housed in Krieter’s garage includes a 1965 Mustang, restored as gift for his wife to help her remember her very first car, a prized possession that he said has “kept her happy ever since.”

There’s also a ’71 Chevy Nova, a 1952 GMC pickup, and what Kreiter calls his “personal favorite,” a 1967-and-a-half Datsun Roadster that once belonged to his father.

Local photographer and illustrator Rod Johnson said the Cherry Festival provided some added incentive to peruse the yearly local car show.

“It’s not just the details of the paint and the bodywork, these cars are actual pieces of art themselves,” Johnson said. “As an artist, there is always something new to experience.”

For the past 21 years, the annual Father’s Day Car Show hosted by the Downtown Boise Association (DBA) has done its part to rev up the enthusiasm of local car lovers. Those with vehicles dating back to 1994 and older were encouraged to cruise into a space at the show.

Abbie Berg, community engagement manager for the DBA, said this year’s event drew more than 12,000 spectators and featured more than 200 vehicles that strategically lined the capitol’s downtown area covering Jefferson, 8th and Bannock streets.

“It’s a hyper-local car show and many of our cars are from the area,” Berg said. “Plus, being held on Father’s Day is a huge contributor to families gathering together and it excites a lot of people to come out and see all these classic vehicles.”

Of the show’s 240 registered participants, 236 vehicles are registered in Idaho. The 1960s took home the top spot for the decade featuring the most vehicles with a total of 90 cars, highlighting what is commonly referred to in the auto industry as the “muscle car” era.

For many, including good friends Roy Hamilton and Mary Slames, the opportunity to relive fond memories strongly tied to automotive history was more than enough to come out and peruse the streets lined with vintage cars.

“It’s just so fun to walk and see all these classics,” Slames said. “There are so many amazing cars from years gone by.”

Shifting gears, Hamilton said it’s the combination of the cars and the people that makes car shows such an extraordinary event.

“You see so many different generations of people, and what strikes me the most is how appreciative and respectful everybody is when they’re walking around and looking at the cars,” Hamilton said

In the world of car shows, vehicles classified as “rare gems” tend to more easily catch the attention and stir up the imaginations of showgoers. At this year’s Father’s Day show, a fully restored 1938 Lincoln Zephyr got the nod as the “big daddy” of vintage vehicles.

Thought to be the “only ’38 custom convertible in the world,” owner Donnie Rea of Nampa, said the vehicle is one of only 1,200 that were produced that year. With parts too difficult to find, the car’s original motor, a V-12 flathead, has been swapped out for an LT-1 V-8, courtesy of a 1991 Chevy Camaro.
Without putting a price tag on the total restoration cost, Rea acknowledged it took more than 5,000 hours of manpower and a full decade to complete the work, with the car now insured at a mere $500,000.

“This car definitely gets lots of looks,” he said. “Every place we go, people are taking pictures and shooting video of this beauty.”

Rea enjoys sharing his gem with other car enthusiasts and those who fully appreciate the artistry and the craftsmanship of a restored classic.

Which makes showing off his gem at a local car show worth every dollar and minute invested.

“I certainly do get a little nervous sometimes when I am out driving it,” Rea said. “The best part is people just light up and smile when they see this car. You just can’t buy this kind of happiness.”

The connections between humans and their cars, the stories, the memories, they’re all solid reasons why car show enthusiasts continue to attend these gatherings annually throughout the valley.
Boise resident Neil Davis, a self-proclaimed “car enthusiast for most of his life,” said he truly appreciates the time and effort spent by those who own and restore classic vehicles.

“There’s really a lot that goes into all of this, so much history in all these cars,” he said. “And then you need to consider the amount of time and work that has gone into them to maintain them and keep them like they are.”

Over the hill in Emmett, Kreiter said as long as there is a Cherry Festival, there will be a car show.

“More and more classic cars are coming into the valley,” he said. “I even know people who have bought homes here in Emmett because of the car shows. It’s definitely growing and we’re getting to a point where we are almost out of space.”

Car show enthusiasts can go to CarCruiseFinder.com to sign up for notifications on future car shows scheduled for the Treasure Valley.