Dubs at the Lake packs them in for biggest show yet
BY JAY STRUTH
Last weekend’s Dubs at the Lake was the biggest one yet, with 85 Volkswagens from Minnesota, North Dakota, Saskatchewan and Manitoba.
“The turnout is phenomenal,” said Dubs at the Lake organizer Ryan Smith on Saturday at Killarney’s Erin Park. “We have two 1949 split window Beetles here. It’s an early Beetle. There’s one that’s been up here before from Minnesota and one from Winnipeg who’s joining us for the first time this year. To have those two early Beetles from the same vintage, side by side here at the show, is something spectacular.”
Smith said the different vehicles in attendance spanned 69 years of VW history, and he knows there are still many more gems waiting to be discovered out there.
“You think back to how many were produced, and there are still plenty out sitting in the bush and barns, just waiting to be found and put back on the road,” he added excitedly.
And Smith can’t wait to see what VW treasures pull into town next year for the sixth annual show. There’s always something and someone new to look forward to.
“It’s the people that come from far and wide that actually make the show,” he said. “It’s them that make it worthwhile.”
WELCOME TO THE SHOW – Dubs at the Lake organizer Ryan Smith stands backstage on Lakeshore Drive on Saturday afternoon while over 80 Volkswagens congregate at Erin Park. It was the fifth anniversary of the VW extravaganza in Killarney, and the biggest one to date.
BUGS AT THE BEACH – Volkswagen Beetles, from 1949 to brand spanking new, lined the Erin Park Beach parking lot on a hot Saturday afternoon.
TAXI! – Gary Bolduc of Deloraine said he should probably be home combining, but he made the annual trip out to the Dubs event, as he has for the last few years, in his ‘74 VW van.
FAMILY BUS TRIP – From left: siblings Jordie (2), Jayce (9), and Jack (11) enjoy a family bus trip in the Dubs at the Lake display. The Brandon family hopes to enjoy an actual VW bus trip out to Killarney next year, as their parents just purchased a 1973 VW Westfalia camper. It needs some work, but that’s why they made their way to Killarney for the show – to network with other VW enthusiasts. Scroll on for more pictures from the show and the cruise around the lake.
