DETAILS
Rock'n August: 25 years of memories
Until Saturday, Aug. 28
*Note: the museum will be open late on Fri., Aug. 6 to allow guests in during the Rock'n August Street Dance
Musée Héritage Museum
St. Albert Place (5 St. Anne St.). 780-459-1528 & museeheritage.ca
One, two, three o’clock … even four o’clock is a good time to walk – or rock – on down to the Musée Héritage Museum for its cool new exhibit. The subject matter is so timeless that it’s a perpetual classic. How else could you describe Rock’n August?
The city’s favourite festival of cars and music is the focus of the new show that will be just like a long, slow drive down memory lane. While it doesn’t have an official soundtrack, there is a fine display of 45s, some cool threads, and even a few hot wheels. After all, when it comes to classic cars, it’s not the destination that matters: it’s the journey.
“They approached us before last Christmas and said they wanted to do a display here. Because of COVID and various things, we wound up having this whole space available, so I decided, let's just go for it,” said museum curator Joanne White.
At first glance, the exhibit space is memorabilia central. It has virtually been turned into the Cruisers’ Clubhouse, replete with license plates, road signs, and a fine collection of T-shirts on the walls.
“We've got 24 years of T-shirts,” White confirmed. The 25th was still having its design ironed on, perhaps.
With a soapbox derby racer, a glass case of model cars, poodle skirts, and a ton of other collectibles to admire, it’s obvious the full exhibit has a host of contributors to credit for it.
“We've got a fantastic array of things to look at.”
There's a video slideshow of hundreds of snaps from years past to tug at your nostalgia, and the presentation has an apt collection of tunes from the 1950s and 1960s to accompany it.
One of the highlights is a groovy and intricate quilt the Quilters’ Guild created. It will be raffled off as part of the fundraising aspect that makes Rock’n August even cooler than you thought.
When it started in 1996, the festival's purpose was to support diabetes education and research.
If the cars are the stars during the festival, then the legacy of better health for the 420 million-plus diabetics around the world makes for a constellation. If you line up the dots just right, that constellation looks just like the Fonz giving his classic thumbs up.
"It's until the end of August. People have lots of time to come in and check it out," White said.
