MEADVILLE — Regardless of what Mother Nature has to say about it, thunder will rock — and roll — the streets of Meadville this weekend.
The third annual Thunder in the City Car & Bike Show sponsored by Meadville-Western Crawford County Chamber of Commerce is coming to town. Starting at 3 p.m. Friday and extending through 11 p.m. Saturday, streets throughout the downtown area will be barricaded to allow room for bands, entertainment, extensive displays of bikes and classic cars and the more than 10,000 visitors organizers anticipate will pack the streets — double the estimated turnout of the 2010 event.
There’ will be a hot time in the old town Friday night.
Downtown businesses and community groups are playing active roles in the weekend’s activities.
A now-traditional Thunder in the City breakfast — pancakes, scrambled eggs, sausage, juice and coffee — will be served Saturday from 8 a.m. to noon at the Unitarian-Universalist Church of Meadville, the red brick church with white pillars on Chestnut Street at the south end of Diamond Park. Tickets are $6 and will be available at the door.
From 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., an open market along Chestnut Street will feature special offerings from downtown merchants as well as approximately 25 vendors in Diamond Park and an additional 20 vendors along Chestnut. Meadville Area Senior High School’s student council, for example, will be just one of the groups raising funds; their efforts will help support a variety of student government-sponsored projects during the coming year.
From 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., COOL 101.7 will broadcast Do Wopp Diner.
Bike Night in Downtown Meadville will feature “2 Wheels & High Heels” from 6 to 10 p.m. Friday, with professional models provided by the Ohio-based Heels ‘n Wheels Entertainment Co. on hand to assist with activities including games, a 50/50 raffle, a T-shirt toss, a high heel contest and a pickle spit contest, to name just a few. “The models will provide some extra hands to be able to help us pull off some of these things,” Kathleen Bishop, executive director of chamber, said Tuesday, noting that the goal of the entire weekend is to bring business to downtown businesses.
Beginning at 8 p.m., Kristen & The Cosmonauts will fill the main stage at the intersection of Chestnut and Water streets with rock classics.
At 1 p.m., participants in the Rusty Hanaway Memorial Bike Run will leave Street Track ‘N Trail on Conneaut Lake Road for the run to downtown Meadville, where the bikes will be on display throughout the afternoon.
Throughout the day, bands representing a wide variety of musical styles will perform on both the main stage at Water and Chestnut and in Diamond Park’s historic Gazebo.
All entertainment is free and open to the public.
Classic Car participants should report to the corner of Arch and South Main for registration, which begins at 7 a.m. Saturday. Registration for the Hanaway memorial Bike Run will take place at Street Track ‘N Trail. There is no cost to enter either the run or the car show. The first 250 to register for either event will take home a goodie bag.
Have no fear — organizers stress that car aficionados are welcome to join in Bike Night festivities
Saturday
Kid-friendly activities are included on Saturday’s agenda, with inflatables, face painting, clowns and Child ID just a few of the offerings available for the younger set during the day and “Shrek, Forever After” the feature presentation of Movie at Dark in Diamond Park at 8:30 p.m.
The Classic Car Show at the Diamond will run from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Car registration, which is free, begins at 7 a.m.
