Show and Shine expands to two days

The Show and Shine Car Show returns to Arlington this week with a two-day lineup for the first time.

The car show will be held June 7 and 8 this year and is put on by the Downtown Arlington Business Association (DABA).

“We expanded it to two days,” said Cristy Brubaker, DABA treasurer. “That helps us with points on our lodging tax grant application."

Brubaker said that many of the car show participants already were in Arlington the day before.

“People always bring their cars to town Friday anyway and drive around, getting excited for the actual show,” she said. “I have heard from some of the locals that they’re excited for that to be an actual part of the event."

Rich Senff, DABA member and owner of Action Sports, said that the Friday brings back some of the classic “cruising” culture.

“If we actually give them permission one night it brings back that old era of cars,” he said.

Before city laws prohibited cruising, it was part of the car culture in Arlington and elsewhere in the county, said Senff.

A variety of different classic and customized cars will be on display throughout Olympic Avenue for the event.

The car show will be held from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. on June 7 and from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on June 8.

Brubaker said that it is a fun, welcoming event and that cars are often tied in with lots of emotions for people, so it is interesting to see how people talk about their cars.

“We have a friend and she and her husband did a lot of car shows with us. Now that he’s passed she continues to do it because it’s something they did together and there’s such a good core of support,” she said.

Bands will again be brought to the Legion Park stage for performances throughout the event, including shows from the Jimmy Wright Band on June 7 and the Harvey Creek Band and Elvis impersonator Danny Vernon will perform on June 8.

Information about local automotive programs will also be available at the event.

“We connected with the Skagit Valley College automotive repair program,” said Brubaker.

“Hopefully that will pique some interest of the younger generation to get more involved with cars,” she said.

Driver and Washington state local Chris Mursick who holds multiple land speed records will also return to the event.

“He came last year but he’s broken more records since then,” said Brubaker.

Marysville Ford returns as the top sponsor again this year for the show, said Brubaker, who wanted to thank the local Ford dealership as well as all their other sponsors.

“As important as our primary sponsor is, we couldn’t do it without all the other people as well,” she said.