SANDPOINT — Get ready to get Lost in the '50s.

With founder Carolyn Gleason, event volunteers and supporters are set to take the event to the next level, expanding the show to 600 cars and making it a "Hot August Nights" qualifying event. In addition, Dennis Gage, host of longtime television show "My Classic Car," will be attending Lost in the '50s events. 

"Both of these items take the car show to the next level and put it on the map," Ashli Thompson said. "They are a big deal in the world of classic cars."

While helping out, both Thompson and self-described "car guy" Rob Manelski made it clear that Gleason is still "the boss" and directing the show.

"Carolyn is still the name and face of Lost in the '50s," Manelski said. "She's absolutely still doing all of the music in addition to the car show. I'm a long-time car guy. I've been painting cars for 45 years and I have a number of cars. I'm just helping out more and doing what she needs me to."

This year's celebration of all things '50s kicks off with a Thursday, May 15 welcome party at Connie's Cafe and runs through Saturday, May 17 with the classic car show in the downtown with concerts on both Friday, May 16, and Saturday.

The Thursday welcome part begins at 5 p.m. Thursday at Connie's with live music and a beer garden. The event is open to the public.

Friday, the show moves into second gear with the classic car cruise and parade through downtown Sandpoint. Cars begin staging at Sandpoint High School about 5 p.m., leaving the parking lot just before 6 p.m. to make their way downtown.  As cars leave the high school, they will turn onto Division Avenue, turn onto Cedar Street until reaching Forest Avenue, where they will turn right onto Church Street. Cars then head down Church until reaching First Avenue before turning back onto Cedar Street until they reach Fifth Avenue.

Following the cruise, the fun heads over to the area around Jeff Jones Town Square for a street dance for the kids, great music and plenty of fun. 

An old school classic rock 'n' roll show featuring The Modern Gentlemen will rock the fairgrounds. The group, which rose to fame as part of the legendary group, Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons, perform an eclectic range of hits from Motown, The Beach Boys and The Beatles to the Eagles, Queen and Billy Joel. Performing with the group is "house band," Rocky and the Rollers.

The fun continues Saturday with the classic car show which fills the downtown streets with hundreds of classic cars, giving everyone a chance to get a close-up view of rides of everything from the 1930s and '40s to muscle cars from the 1960s and '70s. 

Cars start getting parked at 7 a.m. with the downtown open to classic car fans at 9:30 a.m. for a day long celebration of great cars, great music and plenty of fun. Awards are announced at about 3:45 p.m.

However, don't think that that is the end of the fun as the second of two great concerts again turns the fairgrounds into the biggest party in town as Peter Noone, lead singer of Herman's Hermits, takes the stage. From "Little Boy Sad," "Listen People" and "Wonderful World" to "There's a Kind of Hush All Over The World," "I'm Into Something Good" and "Mrs. Brown, You've Got a Lovely Daughter," the band's music formed a soundtrack of the 1960s for many.

New this year is the "checkered flag" program, which offers a discount at local businesses supporting Lost in the '50s. Among those taking part are Baxters, Connies Cafe, 113 Main, The Bank, Hydra Steakhouse and Evans Brothers Coffee. The purchase of the card includes 10 punches offering 10% off your bill for two people at the listed locations.

The program acts as both a fundraiser for Lost in the '50s and as a way to drive business to downtown businesses during the community's unofficial kickoff of the summer season, both Manelski and Thompson said.

"Some of the feedback that we got from the small businesses is that Lost in the 50s is really what gets them through the shoulder season," Thompson said. "You know, it's this odd time where we don't have skiers here, and we don't have our summertime people here, and people are working in their yards and doing things like that, and Lost in the '50s, creates this really nice bump for them."

The program aims to drive pass participants to local business, directing them to restaurants and bars and other venues where activities are taking place.

"The idea is that if we can keep them downtown and they're going, 'Oh, these guys have music and these guys have music, let's look at our punch card for somewhere to eat," she said. "It's a win-win for everybody."

Each of the participating businesses will be identified with a black-and-white flag to hang out front, Thompson said.

For the first time, the event has a title sponsor in Les Schwab Tires as well as Connie's as dining sponsor and the Cedar Street Inn and Suites is the lodging sponsor. 

Information: lostinthe50s.com

    Classic cars make their way down the street during a past Lost in the '50s car cruise through the downtown.
  

    Fans of classic cars and music check out the sweet rides lining Cedar Street at a past Lost in the '50s car show.