FIRST-TIME HOSTS, PARADE PROS

WE DISCOVERED GIMMICK RALLIES in 2021 when we participated in both the Art Appreciation and the Fall Colours Gimmick Rallies, both lead by Hazel de Burgh and her husband Martin Tekela. This new-to-us event turned out to offer some things that we really enjoyed, including excellent routes, the ability to drive at a speed that suited us, a low-pressure and (virtually) non-competitive environment, providing a way for the passenger to participate along the drive, still allowing enough time for socializing with like-minded Porsche owners, still allowing us to enjoy seeing other beautiful Porsches.

Since we were familiar with the waterfalls in the Georgian Bay area, we suggested to Hazel that this might be an interesting theme for another gimmick rally. Hazel was enthusiastic about the idea and encouraged us to put it together. Hazel was invaluable in leading us through the entire process from planning through execution.

Early in 2022, we locked down Walters Falls for the lunch spot, as this was key for us. Planning and documenting the route along with observation questions and answers was a little daunting, and even though we had driven the route for the fifth time the weekend prior to the event, a road closure was discovered on our sixth drive — the day before the event. This meant re-routing the second half of the morning.

On May 29 we were treated with perfect weather for any driving event. Most participants had never done a gimmick rally, and many had never participated in a PCA UCR driving event. So, we were thrilled to offer the opportunity to our members. With staggered departure from Collingwood, 22 Porsches began their adventure, climbing the Scenic Caves Road and then weaving through the countryside towards Owen Sound.

Although gimmick rallies can take on many forms, this one really had three components: visiting some beautiful waterfalls and being made aware of others in the area, for possible later visits; scavenger hunt of questions based on observations throughout the route; and highlighting some of the fabulous food and fare of the town of Creemore.

The first stop was Jones Falls. After a short hike, visitors were treated with views of the falls, where selfies were taken to earn points.

Some of the best roads were travelled between Jones Falls and Walters Falls. Our joke was the best roads to drive have no scavenger hunt questions, because there is nothing there, just the open road.

The Walters Falls Inn treated everyone to a buffet of salads, chicken-stuffed crepes, Inn-made vegetarian frittata and a decadent dessert table. The buffet format allowed for a smooth transition of the staggered arrival of cars.

A shorter drive in the afternoon took participants to Eugenia Falls.

Then the route continued across the causeway of Lake Eugenia and eventually into the town of Creemore. Once in town, the scavenger hunt turned into a discovery of some local shops that kindly supported the event. We concluded with a tallying of points and presentation of prizes. Congratulations to the winners, Elaine and Dave Gosnell.

After awards, our wine and catering hostess, Catherine Morrissey from the Creemore Hills Winery provided a wine tasting with pairings of gourmet prepared food samples based on locally sourced foods and spices. The food samples included a locally grown organic mushroom soup, locally grown wagyu beef meatball and melt-in-your-mouth shortbread, each accompanied by a Creemore Hills wine. The unique foods and wines provided a new experience for many. Catherine was instrumental in supporting the Creemore portion of the event. We couldn’t have pulled it off without her.

We just returned from the annual Porsche Parade in the Poconos and participated in the huge gimmick rally (over 100 Porsches). It had a very different theme (outdoor games and recreation) and execution and was a great way to learn more about gimmick rallies. Oh yeah, and we won the event, bringing home the gold for Upper Canada Region. </>

More Great Articles

Comments

Popular stories

0
YOUR CART
  • No products in the cart.