‘It was humongous’
JOEL MARTIN | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 8 months, 3 weeks AGO
Joel Martin has been with the Columbia Basin Herald for more than 25 years in a variety of roles and is the most-tenured employee in the building. Martin is a married father of eight and enjoys spending time with his children and his wife, Christina. He is passionate about the paper’s mission of informing the people of the Columbia Basin because he knows it is important to record the history of the communities the publication serves. | June 11, 2025 3:00 AM
WILSON CREEK — The Little Big Show keeps getting bigger.
“Last year we doubled,” said organizer Nicholas Odorizzi. “We usually have 100 cars, and last year we had 208. It was humongous.”
That growth has made a little reorganization necessary, Odorizzi said. In the past, the cars lined Railroad Street and vendor booths were set up on Third Street, but this year the vendors will be at the town park and the cars will fill up the street.
There was no way to gauge exact attendance last year, but Odorizzi estimated 500-700 people came to last year’s show. Wilson Creek’s population was 204 at the last census.
“It’s a huge event for the town,” Odorizzi said.
The car show has been so successful that other events are joining in. The two-day Wilson Creek Bluegrass Jam moved its date this year to coincide with the Little Big Show, and many of the town’s residents are planning to coordinate yard sales for the same weekend.
The Wilson Creek Grange Hall was recently purchased, and the new owners are planning a Hot Wheels-themed giveaway, Odorizzi said.
The Little Big Show is still accepting registrations for both cars and vendors, according to the festival’s website. The charge for general vendors is $25. For food vendors, it’s $35, and for those wishing to show off their wheels, the fee is $15, or $20 the day of the show.
The definition of “car” for the show is somewhat liquid. Motorcycles and bicycles have shared the street with more conventional classic cars in the past.
“(An) antique tractor club called and was wondering if we had a tractor category,” Odorizzi said. “I’ve been trying to get the antique RV trailers, too, to come Friday night and camp.”
The population in the northern part of Grant County is less than half that of Moses Lake alone, according to the Grant County Economic Development Council, so the small towns that make up that population have to support each other’s festivals, Odorizzi said.
“We’re pushing more hometown support,” he said. “We’re trying to bring these little towns back and support them the best we can.”
ARTICLES BY JOEL MARTIN
Space Burger booth open March 13-15
MOSES LAKE — Those who can’t wait for the Grant County Fair can get their Space Burger fix next weekend, according to an announcement from the Lioness Club of Moses Lake. The iconic Grant County sandwiches will be available at the Grant County Fairgrounds March 13-15, according to the announcement. There is no admission fee to get into the fairgrounds that weekend.
SENIOR EVENTS: March 2026
COLUMBIA BASIN — Plays, art shows, auctions and more await seniors in the Columbia Basin this month. Here are some opportunities to get out and about in March.
Valentine’s Day cards flood Brookdale Hearthstone with love
MOSES LAKE — Residents at Brookdale Hearthstone Assisted Living in Moses Lake got Valentine’s Day greetings from across the country last month. “I believe that the only states we have not received (cards from) yet are Vermont and Maine,” Lifestyle Director Imelda Broyles said Feb. 24. “We keep receiving new cards every single day. They have not stopped. My residents are in awe with every single one of the cards that we’ve been receiving.” The Hearts Across America project started as a way for children in school classrooms to exchange Valentine’s Day cards with classes in other states or even countries, but the idea has expanded to senior living facilities, according to the project’s social media.

