Toronto, Ontario -- A major community event organized by the co-owner of a CARSTAR repair shop drew more than twenty thousand people to the Danforth this summer.
On August 16, the Crossroads of the Danforth BIA hosted its annual Wheels on the Danforth festival. The full-day event closed a section of Danforth Avenue for live music, food, vendors and a large judged car show. More than two hundred classic and tuner cars lined the street, attracting visitors from across the city.
The car show was fully judged, with prizes awarded to the top entries. This year’s grand champion was Landon Taylor, who brought a 1956 Chevy Bel Air given to him by his grandfather, who attended the event.
BIA events co-ordinator Liane Murillo said the event has been running for 15 years and continues to grow. “We generally have between fifteen and twenty thousand people there for the entire event,” she said. “Between 200 and 250 muscle and tuner cars. It’s a fully judged car show with prizes.”
Murillo, who also co-owns CARSTAR Danforth Tip Top with her husband Joe, said the goal has always been to bring people together. “It’s always involved a car show, music, vendors and a charity raffle,” she said.
The Murillos helped raise $1,500 for Cystic Fibrosis Canada through raffle ticket sales for a Toronto Raptors ticket package donated by CARSTAR and Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment (MLSE).
Joe Murillo said the couple’s involvement goes back to the beginning of the event. “It’s to benefit the whole area,” he said. “We were involved from the very beginning.”
Now in its 15th year, Wheels on the Danforth continues to serve as a showcase for the community, its businesses and the region’s deep automotive culture.
