By Dylan Whitely, Senior Reporter
A lot of rubber will be hitting the roads of Alva this weekend as the annual car show comes to town.
The 21st annual Big Cruise and Car Show – the largest free car show in Oklahoma – will take place in downtown Alva starting Friday, and hundreds of different vehicles from all over the United States will be on display.
The car show began in 2000. The only time the show was canceled was in 2020 because of the pandemic
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The car show has come a long way since its first year, when only 15 cars were in the show. Now, the show averages more than 450 entries every year. The biggest show happened a few years back when 494 cars were there.
This year, more than 150 vehicles are already signed up, with more owners expected to register their rides throughout the week, according to car show coordinator Joe Phillips.
The weekend begins with a free hot dog and hamburger dinner in the downtown square on Friday at 5:45 p.m., followed by a cruise downtown. Saturday morning, the show will start at around 8 a.m. and last until about 5 p.m. Soapbox races for children will take place during the day.
The “go and woah” will take place that evening. It’s an event where two people sit in a car, get out, switch seats and drive as fast as they can down the street to a balloon tied to a chair. The passenger gets out and pops the balloon.
That event will be followed with a crowd favorite: the burnout completion. There is an amateur class as well as a “pro” class for the winners of previous years. Sunday morning, organizers will serve a free breakfast downtown at 8 a.m., and a church service will take place at The Extreme. Drag races are planned for the afternoon.
This is the sixth year Phillips has helped coordinate the event. He jokingly said his favorite part of the weekend is when it is over – if everything has gone smoothly. In reality, his favorite part is the drag races.
“It’s so fun, but yet it can be so dangerous,” Phillips said. “I just hope and pray every day that we get through it and no one gets hurts and that there’s no accidents. Because it is a dangerous sport. We’re going 150 feet in downtown Alva as fast as they can go.”
Admission to the car show is free, though show-goers will have to pay for concessions.
The show also offers events for people who aren’t crazy about cars, including axe-throwing, frozen T-shirt contests and live bands.
All the prize money for event and contest winners will be given in the form of Alva Chamber Bucks, which are accepted at local businesses.
“Anybody that wins has to spend the money in Alva, which will keep the money in Alva, so that is nice,” Phillips said.
Phillips, a member of the Northwestern Hall of Fame who holds records from his time as head coach of the Ranger baseball team, also said the car show happens to fall on the same weekend as a Northwestern home football game. People can come spend the day Saturday at the car show and then watch Ranger football.