Charles City hosts Santa’s Shine & Show, Christmas in July and BBQ Challenge, all on Saturday

By Bob Steenson, bsteenson@charlescitypress.com

Anyone complaining about nothing to do this summer really hasn’t been paying attention.

For the fifth week in a row there is a major community event planned for the upcoming weekend in Charles City – make that three events.

Following on the heels of the first Party in the Park, then the Iowa Whitewater Games, then the Charles City Challenge Whitewater Festival, and after this last weekend’s full four days of Independence Day activities, this upcoming Saturday will again have plenty to do to entice people of all interests.

Combining on July 9 are the second annual Santa’s Shine and Show car, truck and motorcycle show put on by the Charles City Rotary Club, the annual Charles City BBQ Challenge sponsored by the Charles City Area Chamber of Commerce, and Christmas in July organized by Shop Charles City.

Oh, yeah, and the regular Saturday morning farmers market will be going on as well.

Tami Vetter, owner of The Rustic Corner and a member of the Charles City Rotary Club, said this year Santa’s Shine and Show will have vehicles lined up for show all along Main Street, from the bridge to the post office.

PV and the Phantoms will be back to play free live rock and blues music in Central Park from noon to 2 p.m., and there will be a beer tent and six food trucks on site from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., with Cedar Valley Express, Chris’ Kettle Corn, Island Grill, All About Cheesesteaks, Shiver ‘N Squirrel and Black Dog BBQ selling their menus.

“We’re anticipating at least 1½ times what we had last year,” Vetter said, referring to the number of vehicles entered in the show.

“We’re expecting about 125 – that’s just a rough guess based on the feedback we’re getting right now from people,” she said.

Lineup will start at 8 a.m. and go until noon, with the vehicle show officially starting at noon and judging at about 1:45 p.m. Awards will be given at 2 p.m. in Central Park.

Several Rotary Club members and spouses spent a recent evening wrapping presents that Santa will give to the first 100 vehicle entries that show up Saturday morning, Vetter said. They will also get a dash plaque.

The car show is open to all makes and models of vehicles, regardless of their condition.

“We will award 25 awards in the four-wheel category, cars or trucks, then we will award five awards in the two-wheel category, motorcycle, mopeds,” Vetter said. “There will be one Best of Show for four-wheel vehicles and one Best of Show for two-wheel, and one Best Rotarian Car.

Vetter said any vehicles shone by Rotary Club members will be judged separately, so as not to compete with the other entries.

To register for Santa’s Shine & Show, go to shopcharlescityia.com and click on the tab that says Car Show. Registration is $15 through Thursday, then it will be $20 up to and on the day of the show.

Christmas in July will also be happening all day Saturday. Participating merchants include The Rustic Corner, Unique Country Store, Aromas, Darbe & Co., Dean Jewelers, Charles City Electronics, Prologue Books & Wine, Birdie and Bo’s, Cardigan, Otto’s Oasis and The McCoy Smoothies and More.

“Main Street will be closed, so there will be a new traffic pattern for the day,” Vetter said. “You’ll only be able to cross at Clark Street and Ferguson Street, by the post office.”

Parking will be available in the many public lots surrounding the downtown area, and on side streets.

The smell of barbecue will be in the air that day as well, as the contestants in the annual Charles City BBQ Challenge will be smoking their entries all day, hoping to share in more than $1,000 in prizes to be awarded in the contest following official Kansas City Barbeque Society rules.

Contestants can still enter by going to www.charlescitychamber.com, clicking the Events tab, then clicking on “Register” in the July 9 BBQ Challenge entry. Registration is $100 and includes the ribs from Fareway that will be used for the contest.

Judging in the contest will occur at 4 p.m., then ribs prepared by the contestants will be available beginning at 4:45 p.m. for VIP tickets and 5:30 p.m. for ala carte tickets. PV and the Phantoms will also be back performing live in Central Park from 4:30-6:30 p.m.

Prizes in the BBQ contest are expected to be awarded about 7 p.m.