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Water & Wheels returns to Cape Harbour

4 min read

Cape Harbour will be filled with beautiful yachts, boats and classic cars this weekend as it will host its ninth-annual Water & Wheels event starting today.

Visitors to the three-day event will have the opportunity to tour an array of luxury yachts, high performance sport and leisure boats, classic cars and specialty automobiles.

There also will be countless other ways for people to entertain themselves with music, food, shopping and competition.

Glenda Swager, event organizer since its inception, said it’s all about anything that will propel you somewhere.

“In the beginning, my boss said it’s all about the water, but that we should do a melting pot of every travel item. One year we had a Jet Pak,” Swager said. “It’s about anything that propels you and moves you along.”

Throughout the weekend, the Marina at Cape Harbour will show off the best and the newest in an on-water and land display of unique and custom boats, cruising yachts, performance boats, sailboats, sport fishing boats, fishing tackle and boating accessories. Yachts and boats will be open for tours, hosted by more than a dozen major dealers.

Special guest Col. Hugh Saint, a custom wooden boat builder, will meet and greet visitors at the dock by the Funky Fish House to talk about his craft, a 38-foot Honduran mahogany runabout named “Rumrunner.”

Dockside next to Rumrunners, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., the Lee County Sheriff’s office will display its 36-foot Ambar. The United States Customs and Border Protection Office of Air & Marine will display its 39-foot “Midnight Express Interceptor” with Marine Interdiction Agent, Alan Brown, onboard.

On Saturday, countless custom, antique and classic cars with converge in the parking lot across from Rumrunners on Saturday as the Classic Car Show runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. with prizes awarded for the best of the best.

The car show will feature the Dixie Roadhouse Dancers which will perform at 1 p.m., just before the winners are announced.

Scholastic rowers will conduct an “ERG-A-THON” on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The high school team of the Caloosa Coast Rowing Club is raising funds for new rowing shells to accommodate new youth members of the club.

Scholastic team members throughout Lee County will row on portable rowing shells while promoting the club.

On Sunday, Art in the Pavilion, hosted by Habour View Gallery and featuring art for sale and all local artists, will be an additional feature from 10 a.m. to p.m. Also on Sunday, at 4 p.m., there will be a huge Zumba-thon where five instructors will put fitness buffs through their paces. There will be a $15 charge for that event.

The event should help Cape Harbour businesses. Fathoms Restaurant & Bar has scheduled live music all weekend. Chicago Mob will perform from 6 to 10 p.m. on Friday. On Saturday enjoy DJ Juan Gomez will spin tunes from noon to 3, and Roger Young will fill the promenade Sunday from 4 to 7 p.m.

Returning this year, “A Custom Carts” will present its custom golf cart display along with Trek bikes. The Coast Guard Auxiliary will be back to promote water safety and the Wounded Warrior Anglers raffle boat will be on display.

Swager said she expects as many as 2,000 people on Saturday.

“Will Stout has never charged for this event, not even the car people. It makes people smile. You come out and be part of it,” Swager said. “We need to give this place life, but if you keep charging them, it overwhelms people. Come in. The merchants are waiting for you.”

The event is free and open to the public. For more info, log on to www.capeharbour.com or call 470-2746.