The Kool April Nites car show extravaganza begins this Saturday, April 9, and continues with car shows, concerts and other events every day through April 17.
The two biggest events are the cruise, scheduled for Friday evening, April 15, and the April 16 car display at the Redding Convention Center, which serves as the Kool April Nites home base for about a week. Both the cruise and the Convention Center car show attract many thousands of gear heads and people looking for a good party.
Now in its 22nd year, Kool April Nites brings in classic cars, hot rods, muscle cars, roadsters, sports cars, rarities and one-of-a-kind automobiles from all over the West Coast. Kool April Nites this year pays tribute to the Mercury, which went out of production in January.
Organizers anticipate about 1,800 entries in the annual car show, with most of the participants also taking part in the cruise. That number is down from a peak of 2,300 entries a few years back, but it’s close to the maximum that the cruise can handle without turning into a giant parking lot.
“It’s looking really good. The weather forecast is favorable,” said Doug Carney, Kool April Nites’ first-year president. “The schedule follows what we have done in the past, with the exception of Wednesday night (April 13), when we are allowing the Foothill High School band boosters to have a fundraiser in the Mega Tent.” The event will feature a dinner, performances by two school bands and a dance. Tickets cost $12.
That’s the most expensive ticket at Kool April Nites, which presents a ton of free and low-cost entertainment. All show and shine events are free of charge. They provide a great chance to view and photograph dozens of cars up close, and to talk with the proud owners.
As always, organizers urge people to take the free RABA bus rides to the April 16 car show, as exhibitors and vendors fill every parking space at the Convention Center.
The schedule is below. Events are free unless noted otherwise.
• April 9, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.: Show and shine, Best Western/CR Gibbs, 2300 Hilltop Drive, Redding.
• April 10, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.: Show and shine, Kent’s Meats and Groceries, 8080 Airport Road, Anderson.
Photos by Jon Lewis
• April 10, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.: Show and shine, Win-River Casino, off Highway 273, Redding.
• April 11, 2 to 7 p.m.: Show and shine, Allen & Dahl Funeral Chapel, 9100 Deschutes Road, Palo Cedro.
• April 12, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.: Show and shine, Shasta Center on Churn Creek Road, Redding.
• April 13, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.: Show and shine, Shasta View Chevron, 2505 Tarmac Road, Redding.
• April 13, 6 to 8 p.m.: Foothill High School boosters fundraising dinner and dance, featuring Club Cougar Orchestra and The Jazz Cats, inside the Mega Tent at Redding Convention Center. $12.
• April 14, 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.: Show and shine, Market Street Promenade, downtown Redding.
• April 14, 7 to 11 p.m.: Concert by the Cottonwood Band, inside the Mega Tent at Redding Convention Center. $10, or free for Kool April Nites entrants.
• April 15, 6:30 to 8 p.m.: Kool April Nites official cruise, along Hilltop Drive, Dana Drive, Churn Creek Road and Cypress Avenue, Redding.
• April 15, 8:30 p.m. to midnight: Concert by Doubletake, inside the Mega Tent, Redding Convention Center. $10, or free for Kool April Nites entrants.
• April 16, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.: Kool April Nites car show, Redding Convention Center. $7.
• April 16 and 17, 7 to 10 a.m.: Asphalt Cowboys pancake breakfast, inside the Mega Tent, Redding Convention Center. $4.
• April 16, 8:30 p.m. to midnight: Concert by The Diamonds, inside the Mega Tent, Redding Convention Center. $10, or free for Kool April Nites entrants.
• April 17, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.: Winner circle and awards ceremony, Redding Convention Center.
And those are only the highlights. You can expect to find live music around the Convention Center just about all day and evening on Friday and Saturday, as well as on Sunday morning. Businesses will host other show and shine gatherings, both official and unofficial, throughout the week. Car enthusiasts plan to make their annual treks to Shasta, Enterprise and Foothill high schools on April 15.
For more information, visit the Kool April Nites website http://www.koolaprilnites.com, or call the hotline at (530) 226-0844.
Paul Shigley is senior editor of California Planning & Development Report, a frequent contributor to Planning magazine and drives a Dodge. He lives in Centerville. Paul Shigley may be reached at pauls.anewscafe@gmail.com.
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