Car show season surged into high-gear on Sunday at Heritage Park Historical Village in Calgary for the Spring Thaw event. The turnout was nothing short of spectacular considering there was a raging blizzard and a foot of snow on the ground on Thursday. Anecdotal reports give the vehicle count at 375 and up.
Early morning arrivals could see their breath but as the sun climbed, it burned away the frost, and by midday, the heavy jackets were traded for sunglasses and short sleeves as the temperature climbed to +17 celsius.
There is perhaps no venue more suited for such a gathering than Heritage Park Historical Village. The period-correct architecture and cobblestone charm provides an authentic “time machine” atmosphere. All those 1950s cars looked right at home.
For me, the sense of nostalgia was overwhelming and not just because of the setting. As I was at the entrance taking photos, I started swapping childhood reminiscences with Don, one of the volunteers. It turns out that he also grew up in Saskatchewan on a farm where they milked cows by hand, used an old hand-cranked cream separator, and lived in a house with no plumbing or central heat. We could have been brothers. You’ll see Don’s black 63 Mercury Meteor in the photos.
Thank you to the Nifty Fiftys Ford Club and Heritage Park for a fantastic show.
Below is a sample of the vehicles at Spring Thaw. I will add more photos as I have time to process them.
Leave a Reply