27th Spud Run
Car owners show off their classic and contemporary vehicles in front of City Hall on Friday evening during Othello’s All Cities Class Car Club car show, a preview of the rows of cars that would fill Kiwanis Park on Saturday.
GABRIEL DAVIS/COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD
Car owners show off their classic cars inner workings during Friday’s slow drag competition.
Two slow drag competitors “race” their cars by coasting to the finish line after a brief acceleration, hoping to get as close to the line as possible. The slow drag competition took place on a blocked off section of Main Street in front of City Hall.
OTHELLO — The All Cities Classic Car Club hosted Othello’s 27th annual Spud Run car show Friday evening in front of City Hall and Saturday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. in Kiwanis Park.
Bob Dovel, a member of the All Cities Classic Car Club and one of the original four creators of the Spud Run, said that the community responded really well to the event.
“It brings people in, brings in tourism dollars…it brings people into town,” said Dovel.
On Friday evening, members of the public and fellow car registrants lined up in front of City Hall to watch classic and contemporary cars alike cruise back and forth along a blocked-off section of Main Street before lining up in pairs to compete in the night’s slow drag competition. Slow drag competitors’ main goal was to accelerate to a designated spot before coasting to the finish line — the closest car to the line won.
During the slow drags, 50s and 60s music played from large speakers while organizers managed the event while dressed in clothes from those same decades. Car registrants were also able to enjoy all-they-could-eat pizza after the slow-drag competition.
Jack Purdy, an event organizer who has been involved with the show for 17 years, said Friday evening that this year’s event was above average so far.
When asked what motivated them to continue organizing the event and making it accessible to the community, Dovel and Purdy both said immediately it was due to their love of cars.
“Car people are a different breed of people,” said Dovel.
On Saturday, vehicles for the Show and Shine lined the grass in the middle of Kiwanis Park, with hoods open for viewing and surrounded by tents and food vendors. Vehicle owners registered in the event were eligible for trophies from the Show and Shine’s judging competition.
The Spud Run began in the afternoon, which Dovel said is the main event and biggest draw during the car show. Registrants competed to move from station to station throughout Kiwanis Park and draw a playing card at each location. The player with the best five-card poker hand won a $1000 cash prize.
Dovel said that they did the first Spud Run event in Othello’s Lions Park, but the second year they held it in Kiwanis Park and have hosted the event there every year since.
“You can’t find a more beautiful park around,” said Purdy.
Ephrata’s Anything With Wheels Car Show and Shine was also held on Saturday. Dovel said that the last few years Ephrata’s car show had moved to the same day as Othello’s, which has always been on the third weekend in July.
“We have to try to draw people here and they try to draw people there. We try to all get along. Last year there were three shows. Here, in Ephrata and Desert Aire all at the same time,” said Dovel.
Car owner Steve Gordon said that he had been attending Othello’s Spud Run car show for over 20 years.
“All of the things they offer, the slow drags, the pizza night, the refreshments they have, there’s no other car club that I know that puts on a show like that for 15 dollars. It’s been the same price all the time,” said Gordon. “I’ve been coming to this one for a long time and they do a really good job.”
Gabriel Davis may be reached at gdavis@columbiabasinherald.com.
