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No Cruisers Show For September

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Greetings Cruisers. We are letting everyone know that there will be no Lake Country Cruisers Car & Bike Show for the month of September.

Sometimes, “life gets in the way” of things. It happens that Pete Richie and Ron Ellerman will both be traveling north, vacationing with their families for the month of September.

The next Car & Bike Show will be on October 14 at the American Legion, from 9 a.m. to 12 noon.

Legion Post 25’s backyard grille will be getting a new metal roof that may or may not be completed by then. So, burgers and dogs cooked on the grille might not be available, but they will work out something for lunch from the inside kitchen.

Y’all enjoy the final weeks of summer and we’ll see you around town and at the Legion on October 14th! – Scott, Pete, & Ron

PS – Check out Post 25’s beautiful NEW mural!!! The formal name of the mural is, “Honoring Veterans”.

PSS – On September 11, 2023, there will be a commemoration event at Post 25 starting at 9 a.m. Pancake breakfast will be served at no charge for First Responders and Police. This event is open to the public.

Then at 1 p.m., there will be a dedication ceremony for the new mural. Artist Keith Goodson, the Lake Placid Mural Society, the Lake Placid Chamber of Commerce, and Post 25 officers will be in attendance. This event is open to the public.

This Saturday’s Car & Bike Show CANCELED!

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Greetings Cruisers! Well, you don’t need us to tell you that it’s a HOT summer here. The forecast for this Saturday is that the low for the day before sunrise will be 77 degrees and a high temp of 96 degrees.

Those numbers are AMBIENT air temps and do not reflect the heat index that factors in humidity. It’s going to be one of the hottest days of the summer.

So, because we don’t want anyone dropping from the heat, we have decided to CANCEL this Saturday’s show due to BAD WEATHER.

Sorry, Cruisers. Please let your other Cruiser pals know, just in case they don’t read this.

We’ll be back to you about the September show at the Lake Placid American Legion.

Y’all stay cool now! – Scott, Pete, & Ron

2023 Caladium Festival Car & Bike Show

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Yes, it was another HOT ONE, but HEY, it was the end of July in South-Central Florida! (Slide Show Below!)

Greetings Cruisers! Despite the challenging heat, Devane Park was packed with cars, trucks, bikes, and happy people. Plus, we had the classic ambiance of the U.S. Sugar Express steam locomotive train.

There’s nothing like the lonesome sound of a steam train whistle. But being that we’re car and bike people, you could also say the same things about a big-block Chevy or Hemi with open headers or a big-bore Harley-Davidson.

From the 2022 Caladium Car & Bike Show

The gates opened at 7 am and as usual, cars were lined up by 6:30 to get a good parking spot near a tree. “DJ Ben” fired up his machine, a big, honk’n soundboard, and speakers by 8 am. You gotta have tunes for a car & bike show!

 

 

 

This year’s Caladium Festival Car & Bike Show had a simplified Awards deal. Here are our winners!

“Farthest Traveled” – Troy Evans, 2020 Corvette Stingray from Washington State

“Mayor’s Choice – John Donato, 1930 Ford Hot Rod

“People’s Choice” – Anthony Poplunek, 1932 Ford Hot Rod

“Mayor’s Motorcycle Choice & Police Chief Motorcycle Choice” – Jeff Mace Custom Harley-Davidson

“Most Members of a Car Club” – “No Name Car Club”

“50/50 Winner of $900” – Chris Barry

 

 

 

 

Our next Lake Country Cruisers Car & Bike show will be Saturday, August 12, from 9 am to noon at the Lake Placid American Legion, on Rt. 27 in Lake Placid, Florida.

Legion Pit Master “Larry” will be slinging the burgers and dogs!

Lake Country Cruisers will supply the Rock’n Roll music, great door prizes, Cruiser of the Month, Bike of the Month, 50/50, plus a 50/50 runner-up prize. Lake Country Cruisers Car & Bike Shows are Family-Friendly and Dog-Friendly. So, bring the kids, grand kiddos, and Poochie! (we ask that you keep your doggie on a lead and clean up after any messes)

We’ll see you there! – Scott, Pete, & Ron

2023 Caladium Car & Bike Show This Saturday!

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Greetings Cruisers,

   Just a reminder that this Saturday, July 29, 2023, is the 32ndth Annual Caladium Festival Car & Bike Show at Devane Park in beautiful downtown Lake Placid, in the roundabout circle.

The Registration gate opens at 7 am. If you did not Pre-Register, the Registration Fee is $25.

Here are the Rules for Participation

1. Registration opens at 7 am on Saturday, July 29th at the park and closes promptly at noon.

2. ABSOLUTELY no early admissions to the show field.

3. All show parking sites will be assigned by show officials.

4. All trailered show cars must be driven onto the show field.

5. Parking will be provided for trailers and tow cars adjacent to the show field.

6. Cars to be judged must have trunk and hood open and windows down.

7. No bicycles. skateboards, skates, or scooters are allowed on the show field.

8. “For Sale” signs are permitted on the windshield for the sale of the vehicle, but no parts sales.

9. For their safety, all minor (Under 18) children must be supervised by an adult.

10. All decisions are final.

* Dash Plaques & Goody bags to the first 150 registered vehicles

* Music by GNR Sounds (DJ Ben)

* Food provided by the Lake Placid Chamber of Commerce

* Beer Garden

* 50/50, plus consolation prizes (last year’s 50/50 was $1,000!)

* Little Miss Caladium Pageant, sponsored by Bittner Bridal, in Lake Placid.

2023 Awards: Awards Presentation at 1:30 PM

Awards include;

* Peoples Choice

* Police Chief’s Choice

* Mayor’s Choice

* Most in a Club

* Furthest Driven

Follow the Car Show signs from US Highway 27 to Devane Park.

And lastly, Cruisers, when you register, remember to register as “Lake Country Cruisers” so we have a chance at winning the “Most in a Club” award!

Rain or Shine – No Refunds.

Just a reminder, it will be HOT (big surprise, right?), so be sure to pace yourself and drink plenty of liquids; and not just beer! Find a shady spot and do your best to chill.

We’ll see you there! – Scott, Pete, & Ron

 

 

PS – Cruisers, our next Car & Bike Show will be on August 12 at the Lake Placid American Legion, on rt. 27, in Lake Placid, FL. The show will run from 5 pm to 7:30 pm. If you have a motorcycle, bring it, or have friends with a bike, invite them! We like two, three, four, and six-wheel machines!

Meet’n Eat – Tacos & Beer Tuesday

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$1 Draft Beers?!?!? SUDDENLY, IT’S 1970 AGAIN!

Greetings Cruisers! Our next Meet’n will be Tuesday, July 18, 2023, at the Lake Placid American Legion Post 25 (you know the place) from 4:30 pm to 6 pm-ish.

Every Monday and Tuesday at the Lake Placid American Legion is “$1 Draft Beer Day”, AND every Tuesday is “Taco Tuesday”!

So, come with us and enjoy some tacos, a big beef burrito, or taco salad and draft beer in the cool Legion Dining Hall.

Three tacos with refried beans & rice for $12.
A big burrito with refried beans & rice for $10.
A big Taco Salad for $10.

We’ll hoist a few drafts, stuff ourselves, lie about our lives, tell a few spicy jokes, laugh, and solve the World’s problems! (at least in our heads!)

Please RSVP Scott at; lightoak@comcast.net

See ya’s there! – Scott, Pete, & Ron

PS – Be sure to check our Coming Events page.

July 2, 2023 Evening Cruisers Show

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Our July 4th Weekend Car Party!

Greetings Cruisers! Thanks to everyone that came out for our first Lake Country Cruisers evening show in a long, long time. We had around 45 cars and officially 36 registered. All total, we had approximately 60 car friends come to the Lake Placid American Legion to enjoy the car show as part of their Independence Day weekend festivities.

A Few Words About the Weather

Fortunately, we had no rain, although dark clouds were forming about 25 miles to the east towards the end of the show. Now, about the heat.

When Pete, Ron, and I arrived at the Legion at 4 pm, it was beyond “warm”, IT WAS HOT! As we were setting up, we were looking at one another with the same silent expression, “This might have been a BAD idea!” But, we were committed, and “the show must go on”, right?

Then, almost “by plan”, by 6 pm the temps began to drop, and some cloud cover took the edge off the heat. By 6:30 it was a pleasant, warm early summer evening.

Cruisers Closed the Kitchen!

The Post 25 Legion had their backyard grill fired up and Larry Morrison and Commander Fred Pierce were cooking hot dogs and flipping burgers. Not only did you Cruisers bring your cars, but you also brought your appetites! By 7 pm we had to announce that the Legion was SOLD OUT of everything! All the dogs and burgers got gobbled up! GOOD JOB, everyone! Commander Fred said that next month he’ll make sure they have more burgers and dogs.

Door Prizes were won by Justin Donohue, Jon Platt, Jim Maze, and “Lucky” Jack Murphy. Our 50/50 winner took home $175! (could the 50/50 winner please contact us, as we didn’t get a chance to record their name)

And our Cruiser of the Month was Ronald Davis and his big-time fun 1927 Ford Rat Rod. Rat Rods are actually tributes to the earliest Hot Rods made from cobbled-together parts from old car junkyards. Their purpose was speed and performance. Hot Rods didn’t begin to get “pretty” until the 1950s era of Show Cars. Continue reading “July 2, 2023 Evening Cruisers Show” →

A Last Minute Reminder about Our July Show!

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Greetings Cruisers! Just a last-minute reminder that our July Car & Bike Show at the Lake Placid American Legion Post 25, located on Rt. 27 in Lake Placid will be tomorrow EVENING, Sunday, July 2nd from 5 pm in the afternoon to 8 pm in the early evening.

Sunset Sunday evening is 8:24, so there’ll be plenty of time for everyone to get home before dark.

We’ll be doing all of our usual fun things; Rock’n Roll music, Door Prizes, a generous 50/50, a 50/50 Runner-Up prize, Cruiser of the Month, and Bike of the Month awards. The Legion’s outside grill will be cooking American food; burgers, hot dogs, and cheeseburgers.

If it is warm to hot, you can enjoy the Legion’s cool banquet room and entertainer Rob Stotz will be “Rock’n the Oldies” Live on stage. The Legion’s outstanding bar will be open. If you are not a Legion member, a Cruiser Legion member will be able to get you served at the bar! If you are not a Legion member, we can get you an application form to join the great American institution!

According to the hour-by-hour report on Weather.com, there is NO RAIN in the Sunday forecast!

So, come on out and celibate America’s 247th Independence Day weekend with a great Car & Bike Show! We are family-centered, so bring the kids, the grand kiddos, and the dog too! We love dogs and dogs love car shows! Just keep Fido on a leash and clean up after him/her. Continue reading “A Last Minute Reminder about Our July Show!” →

Next Show, SUNDAY, July 2, 2023 5 pm to 8 pm!

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Greetings Cruisers! The July 4th Independence Day Weekend is coming right up. Typically, we have our Car & Bike shows on the 2nd Saturday of the month. But this year we decided to be part of the long holiday weekend by having our show in the first weekend of the month to be part of the July 4th celebration.

The Lake Placid American Legion is having its July 4th Picnic on Saturday, July 1st, so we will be having our Car & Bike show on SUNDAY, and it will be an EARLY EVENING show. Our show will start at 5 pm and go to 8 pm.

We’ll be doing our usual thing; Door Prizes, 50/50, 50/50 Runner-Up prize, Cruiser of the Month, Rock’n Roll music, and Larry will be cooking burgers, dogs, and cheeseburgers on the outside grill.

Inside the Legion, Rob Stotz will be “Rock’n the Oldies” Live, on stage! And the Legion bar will be open to Legion members. If you’re not a Legion member and would like something from the bar, one of the Cruiser Legion members can help get you a drink.

If all goes according to our plan, and it doesn’t rain (NO RAIN! NO RAIN!), as the show progress it will get cooler, instead of hotter! At least, that’s the plan.

RAIN DATE: Saturday, July 8, 2023, 5 PM to 8 PM

Bring the family, bring the dog too! (dogs LOVE car shows, you know) Hope to see you Sunday evening! – Scott, Pete, & Ron

Lake Country Cruisers June 2023 Car & Bike Show

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Cruisers Debut the NEW Summer Schedule

Greeting Cruisers! The snowbirds have mostly flown north for the summer, leaving Highlands County to us year-round diehards! To take the edge off the heat we will be starting our shows at 9 am and wrapping up at 12 noon from now until November. If you are new to this area, yes, it can still be hot in November.

We had around forty cars in attendance and at least 60 to 70 car & bike guys and gals, and a few doggies, too! (dogs love car shows!) A BIG THANKS to our sponsors, the Lake Placid Dunkin Donuts for supplying four boxes of donuts and two cartons of hot coffee.

Our oldest car was Roy Supple’s 1940 Dodge Coupe. Door prizes were scooped up by; Lou Von Gome, Rich Schriver, Roy Supple, Marvin Garwood, and Bob Neeley.

And our Cruiser of the Month (for the second time this year) was Ron Bonburder for his super-sano-clean 1962 Grand Turismo Studebaker. Congrats, Ron!

Our 50/50 winner was Mark Toboda took home $150 cold, hard cash! And our 50/50 runner-up was Scott Storch. Scott went home with two Red Lobster gift cards.

 

 

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT! Continue reading “Lake Country Cruisers June 2023 Car & Bike Show” →

DOCK 633’s “Tiki Bar Grand Opening & a Thirsty Thursday Announcement!

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A Perfect Florida Car Show

Greetings Cruisers!

DOCK 633 has been very generous to Lake Country Cruises since Ron, Pete, and I took over the management of the car shows in October 2021. Those $50 Gift Certificates are mighty sweet!

Dock 633 owners, Bill & Hillary recently added an outside Tiki Bar they call, “The Sand Bar” to the side of their restaurant and asked if we could stage a Car Show for their Grand Opening. Everyone lucked out because it was a picture-perfect spring Florida day.

Thirty cars and at least fifty Cruisers showed up. We stuffed the front parking lot with Hot Rods and cool cars. Everyone that registered got a blue star ticket for a FREE drink, plus 20% off their food tab. Bill & Hillary also booked live music!

Best In Show went to Bruce Clough for his beautiful blue 1970 SS-454 Chevelle. Bruce took home a trophy, plus a $100 DOCK 633 Gift Certificate. Best In Show Runner-Up was first-time attendee, Dave Lawrence for his gorgeous 1970 Chevy C10 Retromod Pickup. Dave took home a $50 Dock 633 Gift Certificate.

For a small car show we did great with the 50/50. Our 50/50 winner was Phil & Cheryl Link. They pocked $150!

SLIDE SHOW BELOW… Continue reading “DOCK 633’s “Tiki Bar Grand Opening & a Thirsty Thursday Announcement!” →

The Lake Placid, Fl. American Legion and Lake Country Cruisers Honors the Return of 2nd Lieutenant Pharis Weekley’s Remains

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Cruisers, American Legion Members, and Patriots Salute the Return of 2nd Lieutenant Pharis Weekley’s Remains

Greetings Cruisers!

Our May 2023 Car & Bike Show coincided with a special occasion. Through diligence and modern DNA science, the remains of 2nd Lieutenant Pharis Weekley were identified, and returned to his home in Avon Park, Florida, EIGHTY years after he was killed in Operation Tidal Wave, over Romania. By all accounts, it was known by the soldiers to be a “suicide mission”. His plane was shot down and he, along with his fellow soldiers, was buried in a mass grave.

Coincidentally, the procession with 2nd Lt. Weekley’s remains, lead by the Avon Park American Legion Riders, road by the Lake Placid American Legion, Post 25. Commander Fred Pierce arranged for two hook-and-latter fire trucks to suspend a “Welcome Home” banner for the procession. They also decorated the side of Rt. 27 with 200 American flags. Everyone that registered a car for the show received a small American flag to hold as the procession thundered by.

It was a solemn occasion. Thanks to everyone that planned this event. Also to those that stopped what they were doing for a few minutes to pay their respects.

The LaBelle, Florida Dana-Howard-Weekley American Legion, Post 130 is named after 2nd Lt. Weekley.

We honor our fallen. Without them and those that serve, we would not be able to enjoy car shows and the car culture.

We had 39 cars and 2 motorcycles registered. Our Cruiser of the Month was Marcus and Joy Johnson. Their period-correct, red SS-396 Chevelle is a beauty. Our Bike of the Month winner was Bob Wolf for his 2002 Kawasaki Vulcan motorcycle.

Special note; Butch Thompson brought what is likely the OLDEST car to ever attend one of our Cruiser shows. Butch trailered his 1914 Reo truck!

Butch left Granny Clampet back home to cook up some viddles!

Door Prizes were won by; Bob Forrester, Marcus & Joy Johnson’ Roy Supple, Alan Greiger, Marty Striegel, and Keith Lang.

Alan Greiger was our 50/50 Winner and pocketed $150!

Thanks to everyone that came to the show! – Scott, Pete, & Ron

PS – Our next Show will be June 10, 2023 at the Lake Placid American Legion on Rt. 27 in Lake Placid, Florida. The Show starts at 9 am and goes until 12 Noon. Burgers and dogs will be on the outside grill and the Legion’s bar will be open! See ya there!

Cruisers “Meet’n Eat” at Paul Fry’s House!!!

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Ready to tie on the old feed bag for a few hours?

Greetings Cruisers!

Our Corvette and motorcycle Cruiser pal, Paul Fry has completed renovations on his house and is hosting a “Meet’n Eat” event at his house in Sebring, this Thursday, June 8, 2023, from 2 pm to 4 pm-ish.

His address is; 5801 Redwood Terrace, Sebring, Florida. Here’s a map of how to get to Paul’s place… Continue reading “Cruisers “Meet’n Eat” at Paul Fry’s House!!!” →

Here’s why America’s Memorial Day car parades are great!

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Greetings Cruisers!

As a fellow car enthusiast, I think you will enjoy this story about why “classic cars” have become part of the fabric of our nation. CLICK HERE!

Our next Lake Country Cruisers Show will be June 10, 2023, at the Lake Placid American Legion, Post 25, from 9 am to 12 noon.

We are working on Car & Bike shows through the summer in various locations and times. Lots coming up and we’ll get back to you.

We hope that everyone enjoyed their Memorial Day. – Scott, Pete, & Ron PS

Dock 633’s New “Sand Bar” Tiki Bar Grand Opening This Saturday Afternoon

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Busy Saturday?  Hang out with us and enjoy Dock 633’s new outside Tiki Bar, the “Sand Bar”

Greetings Cruisers! Dock 633 has been a very generous sponsor to us with $50 Gift Certificates that we use for our 50/50 Runner-Up prizes. (NICE!) Recently, owners Bill and Hillary asked us to stage a Car Show as part of the Grand Opening of their new “Sand Bar” outside Tiki bar.

The Show’n Shine Car & Bike show will begin at 11 am and run until around 2 pm.

The new tiki bar area is under a big shade tree with tent coverings, and there will be Live music. Drinks will be served outside, and lunch can be ordered from inside and then enjoyed outside.

As this is a Show’n Shine event, with no registration fee, but, we’ll have a 50/50!

Hope you can join us! – Scott, Pete, & Ron

PS – Our next Lake Country Cruisers Car & Bike Show will be on June 10, 2023, at the Lake Placid American Legion, Post 25, on Rt. 27 in Lake Placid.

Check out the rest of our Coming Events! Continue reading “Dock 633’s New “Sand Bar” Tiki Bar Grand Opening This Saturday Afternoon” →