Local car enthusiasts are disappointed after a popular weekly car show has been shut down as a result of a single-vehicle crash after the event adjacent to New Horizon Mall.
In a Facebook post, Lift Kings announced that its Wild Wednesday’s Car Show was cancelled after three years, following a meeting with New Horizon Mall regarding the crash on Wednesday August 16th.
“One person made one wrong move and that was it,” says local car enthusiast Justin Legal.
Legal has attended the weekly show every week for the past two years looking to turn heads with his customized 2019 Kia Stinger, from the front facia to the black scorpion rims.
He says it even helped him get exposure for his photography business.
“To find out that I’m not gonna be able to see all these people every week, it’s upsetting and it just took one big mistake to ruin that for everyone, “ he says.
A TikTok video has gone viral of the incident showing the driver of a Ford Mustang speeding out of the New Horizon parking lot, then moments later crashing the sports car into a light standard.
Legal says it’s because of actions of other drivers that car enthusiasts are given a bad rep for speeding, stunting and racing.
“That’s not what the car community is about,” he says.
“We’re about enjoying everyone’s vehicles and getting together and being a community. One person has a bad day, you go to a car meet, you’re having a great day. And by having these unforgivable accidents, it ruins it for the greater population of the car community.”
Lift Kings has hosted its Wild Wednesdays every week for the past three years and says it brought together hundreds of enthusiasts along with hundreds of vintage, classic, muscle, and exotic cars that were on display at the mall parking lot each week.
In statement to Global News, Lift King management says they can’t speak directly to the incident given that it occurred after the show ended and on a public road. It “in no way condones the unsafe actions that occurred on Wednesday August 16th.”
It goes on to say that “it’s unfortunate we are unable to continue our Lift King Wild Wednesday’s Car Show at New Horizon Mall. The actions of a few have effected the many. We know that this show was an important part of Calgary’s car culture, and we want to continue bringing this community together again in the near future.”
Global News has reached out to New Horizon Mall regarding its decision to end the weekly show.