ChehalisFest has been resurrected.
The Chehalis Business Association canceled the annual street fair and car show in April, citing a desire to reserve money for Chehalis' 150th birthday celebration in 2008.
"As word got out, the merchants got involved and we started getting donations," said Debbie Knapp, events coordinator. "There was a lot of interest."
The festival will be held from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. July 28 on Market Boulevard. Events include a blueberry pancake breakfast at the Lewis County Historical Museum, a free movie at the Chehalis Theater, live entertainment, a pinewood derby, kids karaoke contest, two money scrambles for children and a watermelon eating contest.
New this year will be a European car show sponsored by Maximilian Motorsports, featuring performance, vintage and luxury European-made cars. ChehalisFest has historically included a classic car show, but one of the reasons for canceling the festival was a competing car show in Puyallup the same weekend. Organizers feared a very low turnout, as the Puyallup show typically draws more than 1,000 cars.
Having a specialized European show eliminates the competition factor. Knapp said she's expecting between 30 and 40 cars to be on display, roughly the same number as in previous classic car shows.
"The European car show will be great," said Knapp. "Maximilian's been a lot of help to us in putting this together."
A full schedule of events will be featured in The Chronicle as the event nears.
For information, visit the Centralia-Chehalis Chamber of Commerce Web site at www.chamberway.com or telephone 748-8885.
Anyone interested in showing a European car in the show may contact Maximilian via telephone at 748-8578 or via e-mail at sales@maximilianmotorsports.com.
Amanda Haines covers municipal government and health for The Chronicle. She may be reached at 807-8245, or by e-mail at ahaines@chronline.com.
