Snow Lakers were out in force the first weekend of August for one of the summer’s premier events.
The Sixth Annual Street Party drew hundreds of community members to the town’s Main Street for an event that has become four celebrations rolled into one: a car show, a pig roast, a massive meat draw/chase the ace and a street carnival!
It was a sun up to sun down festivity that saw many Snow Lake citizens slathering on the sunscreen so as not to miss a minute of it!
The day began with youngsters and parents taking in the Saturn Shows Midway, which had been set up at the south end of the street for several days’ previous. As volunteers readied the mid-section of the street with tables, fencing and a dance floor, some of the many local classic cars enthusiasts began positioning their vehicles in the north portion of the avenue.
This is the second year that the Legion Car Show, Meat Draw/Chase the Ace and the Snow Lake Motor Inn (SLMI) Pig Roast has combined on this weekend and filled the street that separates the two establishments with hearty revelry. As most would agree, it seemed a natural linkup.
The day progressed with the Car Show starting at 1 pm, and for the second year running, one of the longstanding and most prolific participants in the show was the man in charge. Danny Fornier again took on organization of the event and as he did last year, put forward exceptional event.
There were 10 cars, two trucks and three Harleys registered for the show. Fornier said, as in the past, this year’s show didn’t have any vehicle classes; there was just one overall winner, and that was Leo Norlock with his 1969 Chevy SS Nova, which garnered 23 votes. He received a LarsWorks wood burning and bragging rights as his prize.
Last year’s winner, Keith Scott, came second this time around; his 1929 Essex secured 20 votes. Third place went to Danny Fornier and his immaculate 1968 Firebird; it received 16 votes. Motorcycle winners were: first to a man known simply as “Curly,” second went to Danny deMontiguy, Chris Chell took third.
A noted car fanatic and a restorer who pays attention to detail, Fornier had four cars in the show.
“Too bad we didn’t get a few more from out of town, but we do have a lot of local vehicles,” said Fornier of the lineup.
He was happy to see the car show once again combined with the Street Party and Meat Draw, noting it added to a festival atmosphere.
“It was nice to see the carnival in town this year as well,” he said.
Fornier hopes to see more vehicles overall next year and said some coming in from out of town would certainly help with this.
“It can only get bigger,” he said.
Once the Car Show had wrapped up, attention turned to the meat draw. Bigger and better than the Legion’s weekly draw, the lineups for tickets were only slightly smaller than those who heading up to collect their winnings!
The Pig Roast actually piqued interest long before supper was served, with the mouth-watering aroma of the 50-lb porker wafting through the area!
Nevertheless, cooks Gerard Lamontagne and Rupert Klyne gave the beast one last turn and a final basting prior to slicing it up and dispersing it and all the fixings that went along with it to the waiting lineups.
Of note, last year the pig was noticeably absent from the event, as organizers couldn’t secure a barbeque large enough to handle one. Not a problem this year, the Motor Inn’s Gerard Lamontagne designed a cooking vessel and Lorne and Shaun Kopeechuk fashioned it from a 300-gallon stainless steel water tank which came from York Factory.
It features two compartments; one that will handle a whole pig and another smaller area to cook whole chickens, chops or ribs.
Local store Cornerview Enterprises ordered the pig for the roast and Lamontagne notes that they graciously donated it to the Street Party when it arrived.
Lamontagne said they did this after finding out that the SLMI’s portion of profits would be donated to the fireworks for the 70th Anniversary Celebration.
“They wanted to get in on that as well,” said Lamontagne.
When supper had finished, an evening of music provided by DJ Jordie Dawson ensued. Real estate on the dance floor was snatched up quickly and everyone settled in for a fine evening of celebration. Just another great Snow Lake weekend!
My Take on Snow Lake is published on Fridays.
