Depot Day goes virtual

Judging for ‘No Show-Car Show’ Saturday

WALLACE — Like many other events that had the misfortune of being scheduled during the pandemic, the 35th annual Depot Day car show was forced to do away with how it is normally held.

Instead of classic cars lining the streets of downtown Wallace this year, photos of those same cars can fill your computer screen by checking out the virtual “No Show-Car Show” on the Northern Pacific Depot Railroad Museum website.

Depot Day committeeman Dean Cooper explains that with the stay-home orders in place, there wasn’t much of a choice but to go digital.

“With the timing of it, we knew we weren’t going to be able to invite a bunch of people from out of town to Wallace while everyone is still pretty locked down, so we decided to have a virtual car show instead.”

The Depot Day committee has been collecting submissions from all over the county and displaying them for everyone to see on the special “No Show-Car Show” page.

Depot Day head judge Gary Garnsey said that the event has received more than 100 entries and is still accepting them.

“We’ve got entries from New York, Colorado, Oregon, Montana, and all over the Pacific Northwest,” he said.

To register, car owners simply fill out the registration form online and send in a picture of their car. In return, the owner will receive a dash magnet to show that their car participated in this year’s unique event. The deadline to register and submit a car is Saturday, May 9 at 2 p.m. PST.

Everyone who registers will be allowed to vote for the “People’s Choice” award. The coveted “Best in Show” prize will be determined by judges and announced either Sunday or Monday.

“It’s been kinda fun seeing how it’s grown through the car network,” Cooper said. “People from the area have branched out from other places and they’ve been very supportive.”

The Depot Day car show is the primary fundraiser for NPDRM and has become a staple of the Wallace festival lineup.

While this virtual show won’t bring in the same turnout as the real in-person event, both Cooper and Garnsey are still happy to see people supporting the Depot.

To see the virtual car show or to register, visit www.npdepot.org/depot-days.php.