Street Wheelers a roaring testament to car culture
By Lethbridge Herald on July 11, 2025.
Herald file photo by Al Beeber
A vintage car participates in the controlled cruise staged every year by Street Wheelers on Friday during this file photo.Joe Manio
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Southern Alberta’s love for their cars runs deep, and Lethbridge’s annual Street Machine Weekend is a roaring testament to that passion. Each summer, the high-octane celebration transforms the city into a hub of horsepower, chrome and community spirit—where classic cars, custom builds, and muscle machines line the streets, drawing thousands of enthusiasts from across the region.
“I have only ever missed this weekend two or three times in my life since I can remember,” says Lethbridge car enthusiast Chris Housley.
“The cruising, the 100-foot event at the exhibition grandstand and the numerous car shows throughout the weekend make for a fun and exciting time in our city.”
The 2025 Street Machine Weekend will be the 43rd running of the event, which has been organized by the Lethbridge Street Wheelers Car Club since 1978.
Street Wheelers (as it is called locally) has become a family-friendly staple summer event, which kicks off with an evening cruise tonight, followed by a Saturday show and shine, and ⅛-mile drag races on Sunday.
“Street Machine Weekend is a very special weekend, even if you’re not into cars,” says Street Wheelers president Alex Dewar.
“The bright colours of the cars, smells and sounds are something that’s hard to describe, you just have to be there. Appreciating custom restorations or extremely rare vehicles is a common theme for our weekend.”
The 2024 Street Machine Weekend attracted a significant crowd of participants and spectators.
More than 1,000 vehicles were on display including classic American muscle cars, hot rods, custom builds and European sports cars. According to Tourism Lethbridge, the event drew more than 10,000 people to the City.
“I most likely will be (cruising) with my fiery orange 1972 MGB,” says Lethbridge resident Pam Haapa-aho.
“My first Street Wheelers was 15 years ago when my dad lived right off 3rd Avenue and we would watch together. It is always exciting to see the variety of participants.”
The Lethbridge Street Machine Weekend has an estimated economic impact of over $500,000 on the local economy.
This is based on the event drawing over 10,000 people, a significant portion being visitors.
Tourism Lethbridge estimates that 10-15 per cent of attendees are visitors, and the multi-day nature of the event contributes substantially to the economic impact. An estimated $75,000 was spent on fuel alone.
The Street Wheelers Car Club was formed in 1976 and has grown into one of Southern Alberta’s most recognized automotive enthusiast groups.
The club launched Street Wheelers Machine Weekend in 1978 as its flagship summer event.
Over four decades, Street Machine Weekend expanded from a modest gathering of under 60 cars to a major regional attraction, with some years seeing around 600 cars at the Show & Shine and tens of thousands of spectators.
Seventy-year-old Lethbridge Resident Layne Whipple has been involved with Street Machine Weekend almost since its inception. Although he sold off his own collection of classic cars three years ago, he remains a dedicated participant and supporter of the event.
“I look forward to this every year and we sleep with the windows open during the weekend as we enjoy the sweet noise of the cars,” says Whipple. “Just looking forward to the event and to meeting up with all the fantastic car people. Some of the best people I have ever met are car people.”
Although the annual event has its share of detractors among the general public and even some city departments, Whipple believes that the positive community and economic impact goes unrecognized by the people who should be supporting the long-running event.
“After being involved with and participating, it is an amazing event and the Street Wheelers Car Club does a fantastic job every year. I for one, think that the club and all the volunteers should be lauded and celebrated.”
23-22
nothing against a salvaged car, but having a 2 days long parade of noise, stench, plus the outlaw biker bazaar that actually attracts buyers, is 2 days of yahooism and pollution we could do without.