Cars & Coffee and the Concours d’Lemons Return to the River District

The River District and the City of Owen Sound are thrilled to welcome back Cars & Coffee, Concours d’Lemons, and Automotive Seminars on Saturday, September 13, 2025.

Cars & Coffee will feature a diverse group of vehicles 25 years and older, which celebrate the automotive enthusiast’s spirit. Proud owners of beautiful collectible vehicles will showcase their prized automobiles and gather with like-minded car lovers for a cup or two of coffee. Cars & Coffee will take place from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on 2nd Avenue East, between 7th Street East and 10th Street East. 

The Concours d’Lemons celebrates the oddball, mundane, and truly wacky of the automotive world and is part of Hagerty's partnership with the Cobble Beach Concours d’Elegance (taking place the following day, Sunday, September 14). Concours d’Lemons will take place from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on 1st Avenue West, between 8th Street West and 9th Street West. 

The Automotive Seminars will be hosted at the Historic Roxy Theatre starting at 1 p.m. and will include two seminars: "From Grit to Gigabytes: The Early and Digital Eras of F1" and "Presenting the all-new Porsche Experience Centre Toronto". Seminars are free to attend but require registration due to limited seating.

As part of the Cars & Coffee event, Owen Sound is proud to present the Owen Sound Fire Department #1 – 1923 American LaFrance fire engine. Originally the first motorized fire pumper in Owen Sound and Grey County, this fire engine took over 15 years to be restored by a dedicated group of volunteers in partnership with Grey Roots Museum.

During the event, contests for business windows and automotive people's choice awards will take place. Several stores will have sidewalk retail options for eventgoers, which will be a great opportunity to support local businesses.

If you are in the River District on Friday, keep your eyes peeled for the Tour d'Elegance. A parade of participants' cars from the weekend's events will start at Cobble Beach and head south into Owen Sound, set to hit 2nd Avenue East at 10th Street East at approximately 10:45 a.m. The cars will drive south on 2nd Avenue East, past Harrison Park, before turning right onto County Road 18 and heading out toward Springmount. 

To accommodate these exciting events, the following road closures will be in place:

• 2nd Avenue East will be closed on Saturday, September 13th, between 7th Street East and 10th Street East from 6 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. for Cars & Coffee.
• 1st Avenue West will be closed on Saturday, September 13th, between 8th Street West and 9th Street West from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. for Concours d’Lemons.
• All through intersections will remain open, and all businesses in the River District will remain accessible to patrons.

For media inquiries, please contact Viveca Gravel, River District Coordinator, at 519-376-4440 ext. 1209 or email vgravel@owensound.ca

For road closure inquiries, please contact Lara Widdifield, Director of Public Works and Engineering, at 519-376-4440 ext. 1201 or email lwiddifield@owensound.ca

Quotes:

“We’re thrilled to once again be part of Canada’s Premier Motoring Festival! From the fun at the Concours d’Lemons and Cars & Coffee on the streets of Owen Sound and the stories shared at the Roxy Theatre on Saturday, and to the amazing creativity and character of automobiles at the Concours d’Elegance at Cobble Beach on Sunday, this weekend is always a highlight for every car enthusiast.”

-      Mayor Ian Boddy

Quick Facts:

• Concours d'Lemons and Cars & Coffee are free, family-friendly events as part of the Concours d’Elegance & Motoring Festival
• Some City road closures will take place to accommodate the events (see full release for details)
• This is the third year that these events have taken place in the River District

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