30th Anniversary Verona Car Show

Jeff Green | Sep 04, 2025

When the Verona Festival was founded in the mid-90’s, the Car Show was one of many features that were part of the three-day festival, that featured music, a soap box derby, duct boat races, an art/craft show, a unity church service, and more. The car show was held in the parking lot at McMullen Park at the time.

30 years later, the Verona Festival (later renamed the Cattail Festival when it moved to the Lions Hall and Park in 2010) is gone, but the car show is more vibrant than ever. Over the years it has retained the reach of the original festival into the local community with a very strong volunteer presence, the support of the Lion’s Club, the Kids Zone, music by Trevor Walsh, the Lions Club breakfast and lunch menus, and more.

Ed Asselstine turned over his central organizing role to John and Julie Nizman in 2016, and the show has been growing ever since, with a bit of a blip year in 2020, which only spurred the show on in 2021, when it was one of the few events to start up again as COVID restrictions eased. In terms of attendance, money raised for local charities under the umbrella of the Lions’ Club, and the atmosphere in the park, the festival has been able to rekindle the community spirit from the original Verona Festival.

This year’s festival will see the return of many car show partners: including South Frontenac Fire and Rescue, who will be running demonstrations, including a car extraction; Harrowsmith Brewery, which will feature the newest of their locally themed beers, Frosty Mugginz Blond Ale; and face painting with Fast Impressions by Danielle.

Raffle prizes include a scale model Ford battery powered Kiddie Ride Ford Ranger, and an $1,800 voucher towards a vacation trip.

Thanks to a long list of local and regional sponsors, the volunteer efforts of the Nizman’s, the Lions, and local community groups, the Car Show has raised well over $113,000 in the last 8 years, and last year approached $20,000 in net proceeds to South Frontenac community groups.

The Verona Car Show runs from 8am-3:30pm on Saturday, September 13 (Trophy Presentations at 3pm) Entry is by donation.