91原创 Good Times Cruise-In charity car show is coming up. And in advance of the huge community event being held in downtown Aldergrove on Saturday, Sept. 10, the 91原创 Advance Times has put together a series of stories talking about the people involved and the festivities planned. Stay tuned here, daily, for more about the upcoming Cruise-In.

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Riccardo Sestito eyes bugged out and his heart started palpating when he caught a glimpse of a blue 1968 Ford F250 sitting across the parking lot from him at the 91原创 Good Times Cruise-In inaugural swap meet and car corral.

Memories 鈥� most good and a few bad 鈥� flooded back as the Cruise-In president recalled being a teenager and driving everywhere in his pickup truck.

For a split second, he wondered if it was actually his old truck. It was pretty much identical, he said getting a closer look at it and instantly being transported back in time.

鈥淚t looked identical to the truck I used to have.鈥�

Sestito knew he had to have this one 鈥� it was a mirror image of his own from back in the 1980s.

鈥淚鈥檓 walking along and I said 鈥榟ey, that鈥檚 my old truck,鈥� and the guy said 鈥榥o way it鈥檚 your old truck.鈥� Anyways, I didn鈥檛 even haggle with the old guy,鈥� Sestito recounted. 鈥淭he guy said, 鈥榙on鈥檛 you want to hear it run.鈥� I said, 鈥榥o, $2,100 鈥� sold鈥�.鈥�

There was a line up of collectors hankering to buy the truck, but after talking with the seller, offering absolute assurances he would never restore or modify the truck, and agreeing to pay full asking price of $2,100, a handshake sealed the deal.

There was just one caveat, Sestito had to take all the miscellaneous automotive parts in the bed of the pickup. He never wanted the parts, but jokes that he鈥檚 still selling off some of those pieces today.

Sestito also confirmed he still has that truck 鈥� even though he鈥檚 bought and sold a few other collector vehicles through the years. He has no intentions of getting rid of it.

鈥淓very once in a while, I still run into this guy. He says 鈥榮till got that old truck?鈥� I go, 鈥榶eah.鈥� And he goes 鈥榶ou do anything to it?鈥� I say, 鈥榥o.鈥� He says 鈥榞ood man!鈥欌��

Sestito and other Cruise-In directors are in the process of organizing this year鈥檚 car show 鈥� happening Saturday, Sept. 10 in Aldergrove. They鈥檙e also coordinating the swap meet and car corral for the subsequent day 鈥� Sunday, Sept. 11.

The outdoor sale boasts at least an acre of custom and collector cars and parts to restore them, as well as a selection of other old treasures, Sestito noted.

Personally, he has walked away with everything from gas and oil signs, old radios and telephones, pop machine, automotive clocks, pedestal ashtrays, and cigarette machines 鈥� plus lots of other trinkets he鈥檚 forgotten about or resold.

All these types of items, and much more, are expected to be up for grabs at this annual swap meet, he said.

鈥淚f you鈥檙e looking for it, you鈥檒l find it there,鈥� Sestito said, once again vowing he鈥檚 not going to buy anything this year.

鈥淥h hell, who am I kidding. I always walk away with something,鈥� be it a car or a treasure for his workshop.

Digging deep into his memory banks again, Sestito recalled the start of the swap meet some eight to 10 years (likely 2006) into Cruise-In, which started in 1997. The swap meet replaced what was once a popular Sunday chili cook-off held at the airport.

Held on the grass at the 91原创 Regional Airport, before more aviation hangars were constructed, this event drew thousands 鈥� mostly car enthusiast (spectators and registrants from the Saturday car show) who came to town for the entire weekend. Hundreds would take part in the Friday night cruise that would depart downtown 91原创 City and meander through backstreets of the community, east to the Twilight Drive-In theatre in Aldergrove. Then, of course, everyone was part of the Cruise-In all day Saturday. And most, Sestito recalled, would stick around for the cook-off on the Sunday.

After the cook-off ran its course, Cruise-In directors began casting around for different ideas to replace the Sunday event. They wanted something meaningful and enticing for the visiting car collectors. Something 鈥渇resh鈥� that would also draw a crowd.

A swap meet and car corral was proposed and quickly resonated.

At the time, and to this day, there are few such events of this scale in the region 鈥� beside a large show each May at the Tradex and a bigger automotive swap meet held in Monroe, Wash. each spring and fall.

鈥淪wap meets are fewer and far between now a days,鈥� he added.

From its first year, held in the parking lot of Kwantlen Polytechnic University, the local swap meet was a big success, Sestito recalled. It grew year after year, at its peak attracting upwards of 100 vendors and a few thousand of shoppers each year.

When Cruise-In relocated to Aldergrove in 2017, a scaled-down version of the swap meet and car corral moved to the parking lot of the former Aldergrove Mall for a few years.

Last year, because the mall was fenced off in preparation for demolition, the swap meet was relocated to its new home at Aldergrove Community Secondary.

Despite being in a new location and dealing with rain, last year鈥檚 show still attracted a hundred or so shoppers, Sestito said. And he anticipates this year鈥檚 crowd will be much bigger.

鈥淚f word is still out there, and I think it is among the car community, then we should be pretty busy this time around,鈥� he said, recounting how it used to be jam packed for about two or three hours in the morning. 鈥淚t could turn into something big, again.鈥�

RECENT: Volunteers needed for 91原创 Good Times Cruise-In

The cost for vendors is $20 per parking stall, and admission for shoppers is a recommended $5 per person donation. As is the case with all proceeds raised by Cruise-In, the money generated all goes to charity.

For those looking to attend, Sestito recommends arriving early to find the best deals.

Vendors typically set up between 5 and 6 a.m., and the swap meet officially opens at 8 a.m. 鈥� but some people are clamouring to get in between 6 and 7 a.m.

鈥淭here鈥檚 some who are there before the sun is up, wanting to get a deal from guys still pulling stuff out of their trucks,鈥� Sestito said.

swap meet and car corral officially runs until 3 p.m., but Sestito noted prime time is 8 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., with a number of the vendors known for packing up early.

Public parking is at the community centre or on area streets.

READ MORE: Father and son debut car at 91原创 Good Times Cruise-In

More information and pre-registration available on the

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