The Nelson Road Kings are expecting more than 350 cars to register for the 12th annual Queen City Cruise, and they’re thrilled to be hosting such a popular and long-standing event.
“It gets better every year. We’ve got lots of vehicles coming from Washington and Idaho, quite a few from the Okanagan. We get calls from the Lower Mainland. They’ve heard about our show,” said president Stan Brost.
“You walk down Baker Street and you’re going to see cars from the Chrysler dealer all the way down to Kootenay Co-op. It will all be filled with cars. On average, we usually see close to 10,000 people. We’re one of the biggest events of the year.”
Brost said the economic spinoff for the community is huge, but their main focus is on throwing the best party they can. To that end, they’re introducing a brand new casino night, which will be held at the Adventure Hotel on Vernon Street.
“We call it a cruise night charity casino,” said club director Ron Cutler. “What it is, we’ve got true casino games. Roulette, horse racing, Black Jack, Poker, Red Dog, Casino War, 3-Card Poker and Sic Bo. Twenty dollars gets you in the doors, and we supply appies with that. It also gets you $500 worth of poker chips.”
The chips themselves have no face value, but the three people with the most chips at the end of the night will be eligible for a trio of prizes with an approximate value of $500.
There will also be a wheel where visitors make a $5 donation to the Road Kings for an opportunity to spin. Prizes include T-shirts, cleaning products, car accessories and poker chips.
“I think the whole idea is to make it a more fulfilled weekend. Saturday is always great, the rooftop dance is fantastic and sells out every year, but other than the cruise on Friday night there’s not an awful lot to do. We wanted to round it out and have something that will be a fun night, with socializing and playing games. We hope to turn it into an annual event.”
Cutler believes this gives the event a more universal appeal.
“We’re open to everybody,” he said.
The funds raised during the casino night will go towards a number of charities, and will provide two $500 bursaries to L.V. Rogers high school graduates planning to pursue an education from a post-secondary trades program.
The rooftop dance at the parkade, which is scheduled for Saturday night, is one of the most popular events. Organizers warned that it has sold out every year. Organizers are encouraging locals to buy their tickets ahead of time for the party. This year classic rockers Eddy and the Stingrays will be providing live entertainment.
DVDs of the weekend’s events are available for purchase. The Road Kings suggest you pre-order them through their website nelsonroadkings.com
For more information email info@nelsonroadking.com
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
Friday, September 5
2:00 p.m. Early registration at Bogustown Restaurant and Lounge
6:00 p.m. Parade through downtown Nelson
7:00 p.m. Cruise night charity casino at the Adventure Hotel
Saturday, September 6
9:00 a.m. Registration
10:00 a.m. Show and Shine on Baker Street
10:00 a.m Poker Walk starts
2:30 p.m. Poker Walk ends
3:30 p.m. Trophy and Prize Presentation
4:30 p.m. Lordco Poker Run
5:30 p.m. Poker Run presentation
7:00 p.m. Doors open for the Rooftop Dance at the Parkade, featuring Eddy and the Stingrays
