By Matthew Liebenberg
Southwest Booster
Cloudy weather on a Tuesday evening in Swift Current did not prevent vehicle enthusiasts from attending The Big One to enjoy a large variety of vehicles on display.
There were around 434 vehicles in attendance at the Living Sky Casino on Sept. 15 for The Big One, which was organized by the Rogue Cruisers.
The large turnout was somewhat of a surprise for Rogue Cruisers founding member Dustin Vipond.
“I’m relieved that the weather held out and a wonderful turnout,” he said. “Considering the week we had and the iffy weather, I was really concerned. It was nice to see the sun pop out for a bit and I think that helped guys make the decision to take the plunge and drive up here.”
Vehicles filled the parking lot on the western side of the casino and a section of the Battleford Trail East Street was also closed to accommodate the vehicle overflow.
“I think we were maybe a little bit higher last year, but it was beautiful weather last year,” he noted. “It’s amazing.”
The majority of vehicles at this year’s event probably came from within an hour and a half radius of Swift Current, but some attendees drove from Prince Albert in Saskatchewan and from Medicine Hat and Calgary in Alberta.
There were several clubs in attendance, for example the Excellerators Car Club from Shaunavon and the Southern Cruisers Car Club from Assiniboia.
The Rogue Cruisers hosts a Tail Light Tuesdays gathering of vehicle owners each Tuesday evening throughout the summer and into the fall. The purpose of the Big One is to celebrate the event’s success and to bring as many of those vehicle owners together who attended on previous Tuesdays or even to attract some for the first time.
The Rogue Cruisers has organized Tail Light Tuesdays as well as The Big One annually since 2023. The Big One has therefore become a regular event on the calendar for vehicle enthusiasts.
“You seldom have to explain what it is,” Vipond said. “Everybody knows what it is. Everybody’s always asking what’s the date next year and when it’s coming and can I donate a prize. It’s really neat.”
The Rogue Cruisers is a social group that promotes friendship and camaraderie through involvement in various vehicle events such as car shows, cruise nights and road trips. The success of The Big One has exceeded their expectations.
“If you’d have told me this was possible four years ago, I would have definitely called your bluff on it,” he said. “I didn’t think it was possible. When this first started out, we said let’s just have one and how cool would it be if we got every car that had come out throughout the season to fill up this parking lot. We’ve exceeded that and we’re out on the street, It’s really amazing.”
He appreciates the support of the Living Sky Casino for Tail Light Tuesdays. There has also been great support from the business community. There were 300 door prizes for The Big One.
“The support of the community is incredible, whether it be businesses or individuals,” he said. “We had a large portion of people just reach out. We didn’t even knock on their door. They came to us and said they wanted to donate for it.”
The success of The Big One was made possible by a group of nearly 50 volunteers who carried out a variety of tasks to ensure everything ran smoothly.
Tail Light Tuesdays offers an opportunity for non-profit organizations to partner with Rogue Cruisers and raise money for their activities. A different non-profit has been present at the event each month.
Silver Wings Access Van is the non-profit at Tail Light Tuesdays during September. Weather conditions will determine how long the weekly Tuesday evening gathering will continue.
“We’ll continue to the end of September for sure with our charity and then in October we just meet casually for as long as the weather stays good,” Vipond said.
