Atlantic Nationals brings cars, music to Moncton

Sections of Main Street will be closed Friday and Saturday for outdoor street parties with live music

Article content The Atlantic Nationals Automotive Extravaganza will bring hundreds of cars and local music to Moncton this weekend. “This is more than a car show, this is a car and music festival with live music every day,” said Bill Doherty, who has been organizing the event for more than 20 years. Doherty said they expect close to 2,000 cars in this year’s show, with pre-registered vehicles from across Canada and the United States.

Each year, the show features a variety of antique cars and trucks, hot rods and one-of-a-kind custom vehicles. The show begins Thursday from 5 to 9 p.m., with a new free admission show at MacDonald Pontiac Buick on Baig Boulevard. On Friday morning, a section of Main Street will be closed to traffic beginning at 6 a.m., as hundreds of cars will be parked along Main Street and side streets.

Admission is free and people are able to see the cars and talk with the owners. The Friday night street party will begin at 6 p.m., with live music on the Canadian Tire Sound Stage by The Retronators, Canadian singer Sass Jordan and Moncton band Re-Form School. Admission is free and the street party usually draws thousands of people.

A similar street party will be held Saturday night, with a section of Main Street closed off by the Avenir Centre as local bands perform on the outdoor stage of the Ian Fowler Oval. Saturday night’s bands will be DJ Eddy, Bobcaygeon (Moncton-based tribute to the Tragically Hip), and Re-Form School. Hundreds of cars will be on display at Centennial Park on Saturday and Sunday, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Admission is $15 per person or $30 for a family of four. During the car show, Centennial Park will be accessible only by the main gate, and only vehicles registered with the show will be allowed in. The main parking area of the park, located next to the splash pad and playground, will be closed on both of these days.

The city said Centennial Pool and the dog parks will not be affected by the event and will remain open to the public. Besides the cars, there will be vendors selling automotive merchandise, a variety of food vendors and live music by local bands on the stage in the lower bowl. Doherty said a new addition this year is the New Brunswick Museum’s mobile unit, which provides a taste of what visitors can find at the museum in Saint John.