Manistique Car & Motorcycle Show rolls into 29th year with expanded downtown celebration

Classic cars, motorcycles, food trucks, local makers and plenty of activities for kids will take over downtown Manistique this Labor Day weekend with the return of the annual Manistique Car & Motorcycle Show.

The two-day celebration begins Friday, Sept. 4, before the 29th annual Manistique Car & Motorcycle Show, organized by the Manistique Merchants, fills Cedar Street on Saturday, Sept. 5. This year, organizers are expanding the experience through a partnership with New House Junction, turning its nearby lot into a food truck and vendor marketplace that gives families another place to gather during Friday’s festivities.

For Manistique Car & Motorcycle Show co-organizer Magan Peterson, seeing the event continue nearly three decades after it began is part of what makes the weekend special.

Peterson became involved around 2017, when members of the former committee were preparing to step away and a new group came together to keep the tradition alive.

“We are going on our 29th show and are hoping for an awesome turnout this year,” Peterson said. “We love seeing all our returning participants every year and also the first-time participants. We love to see the show continue to grow.”

Peterson jokingly describes herself as “possibly the chaos organizer,” although she said the small committee doesn’t operate with strictly defined roles. Everyone pitches in to make the show happen.

Friday’s festivities begin at 3 p.m. at New House Junction with food trucks, vendors, music and family activities. Cruise participants will line up at 6:30 p.m. at Lakeshore BP before taking off at 7 p.m. for the Friday Night Cruise through Manistique. No registration is required for the cruise. An after-party will return to New House Junction before the evening’s drive-in movie.

“The parade on Friday night is probably my personal favorite,” Peterson said. “To see all the cars roll through our downtown is just amazing.”

Her children, she added, would probably cast their votes for Friday night’s burnout box at KL Tire.

Saturday brings the main event. Registration and check-in begin at 8 a.m. at the Barr Team KW office, with the Car & Motorcycle Show running from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Registration is $25 and includes a commemorative T-shirt. Awards will be announced at 2:45 p.m.

Rhino Dyno also returns, giving owners a chance to find out just how much horsepower is hiding under the hood. Two pulls cost $50, while unlimited pulls are $100.

Peterson said the partnership with New House Junction was a natural fit for a committee always looking for ways to support local businesses while adding something new for visitors.

That is exactly what Carly Steffen of New House Junction hopes to create.

“The vision was never simply to create a place to grab food — it was to create somewhere people would want to stay, visit with one another and enjoy being downtown,” Steffen said.

For car show weekend, that means a lively culinary and vendor marketplace featuring food trucks, local entrepreneurs and family entertainment. Food offerings include Boppin Betty, Kayla’s Top Tier Tastes, Southern Bayou Grill and Phoenix Bakery, while vendors include The Bottle Lady, Broken Spines Mobile Book Bar, B’s Laser Creations and Yoop’ It Up with Patti Segerstrom.

Kids will have their own reasons to make the Junction a destination. Hot Wheels Pallet City will offer an oversized play area, while the Wheelie Clean kiddie car wash lets children bring bikes and Power Wheels through an interactive miniature “car wash.”

There is also some serious money riding on the opinions of the show’s youngest judges.

Children can vote for their favorite vehicle in the Kids Choice contest, with the winning vehicle’s owner receiving a $200 cash prize. Voting is available only at the New House Junction lot, and children must cast their own ballots in the official ballot box while accompanied by an adult.

“A big part of the vision is creating the kind of place children will remember growing up with,” Steffen said. “We want kids to remember coming downtown for events, playing games, eating something from a food truck, visiting the vendors and spending time with their families.”

This year’s show will also help organizers learn just how far that reach extends. Peterson said the event was selected for an economic impact survey that will examine where visitors come from and what the weekend means for Manistique businesses.

“We have always heard from our shopkeepers, bars and restaurants that it’s a good weekend for them,” Peterson said, “but it will be very interesting to see the impact of it and where we draw our crowds from.”

Survey opportunities will be available during the event, with additional information expected through the Manistique Merchants Car Show Facebook page.

For Peterson, however, the formula that has carried the show through nearly three decades remains pretty simple: bring the cars, bring the community — and have some fun.