The marketplace is the impromptu shopping centre that springs up every year at the heart of the Langley Good Times Cruise-In.
Operating out of the parking lot of the Cascades Casino, the marketplace will include a number of other features, including the In & Out Burger franchise, the band Live Rust performing, and the Rokstad Power Custom Car Showcase.
But the core of the marketplace is the approximately 50 vendors who will come from across B.C. and beyond.
They’ll be selling everything from tin signs to T-shirts to car wax, said the Cruise-In’s Lori Watts.
“It’s mostly car memorabilia,” Watts said.
Some companies that do custom work will have vehicles there to show off their skills to drum up business.
Most of the Cruise-In is non-commercial, a large area for people to simply show off their classic or custom cars and to see everyone else’s vehicles.
But the marketplace gives people a chance to buy things for their car or home related to their love of all things automotive.
“It’s very popular with people,” Watts said.
Vendors are split between Lower Mainland businesses and firms coming from Vancouver Island, Alberta, and beyond.
The marketplace will be open to the public from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 12 during Cruise-In.
Ridler ride
The Ridler car will be on display this Saturday as part of the Langley Good Times Cruise-In.
Note that there’s one “d” in Ridler, just so passers-by aren’t looking for a lime green cruiser decorated with question marks, driven by Batman’s arch-nemesis, the Riddler.
This car is a yellow 1964 Buick Riviera custom (a.k.a. “Revision”), which was the winner of the prestigious 2014 Ridler Award, and is owned by J.F. Launier from Osoyoos.
It’s a key element of the Cruise-In’s Rokstad Power Custom Car Showcase in the parking lot east of the Langley Public Health Unit building on Fraser Highway, and just west of Innes Corner.
“The Ridler Award is one of the granddaddies of all shows, and is held at the Detroit Autorama,” said Chuck Rokstad, who is coordinating the showcase along with Bob Clough. “It takes engineering and design, and plus the finish, to win the Ridler. You can’t just be a showpiece.”
The vehicles on display will be roped and stanchioned off, similar to an indoor show, Clough noted.
“There are guys who would like to have the same opportunity but they don’t want to show their cars in an open-class show,” Rokstad said. “This gives them the opportunity to bring their cars out if they’re hiding in a garage somewhere.”
When the organizers of the showcase were choosing the cars to put on display, they were looking for uniqueness.
““You don’t need to be a Ridler Award winner to get in this showcase,” Rokstad said. “We wanted some nice, quality cars from Langley in here. We’re trying to represent quite a few people, here, and different cars and classes.”
Rokstad said what attracted Rokstad Power to the Cruise-In was the charity aspect of the car show.
“We want to expand the show next year to a larger venue and include more cars,” he added. “This is the first time we’ve tried this, and so it’s a real learning curve for us.”