Something to do in ONTARIO in September
If you are looking for a Father's Day gift, here is a suggestion that will be appreciated by everyone in the family. Cobble Beach is in Kemble very close to Owen Sound and much closer than the other Concours d’Elegance at Pebble Beach in California. In both locations there are good water views in elegant settings with considerable additional elegance on display. My wife and I attended in 2023 and we both highly recommend both Cobble Beach and the Cobble Concours to anyone looking for a pleasant outing in Ontario.
The two images here were taken from the Cobble Beach website and you should rely on these two links to learn more since the sites themselves are elegant ones providing all the information you need. Below them and the picture, I will offer some additional comments.
For information about the community where the Concours is held see: Cobble Beach.
For all of the details related to the event see: Cobble Beach Concours de Elegance.
The calibre of the Cobble websites provides a good indication of the high quality of the Concours held there.
A Trip to the Cobble Beach Concours d'Elegance
The websites do offer all the information you will need and also additional testimonials, resources and sources for more information. Here are some observations that may be useful and which are presented in a somewhat less elegant point form.
- We had visited Cobble Beach twice before for lunch when passing through the area, so we knew it was a nice place. It is a golf community where visitors can also stay at the inn. It is the case, however, that you probably will not be able to stay there during this weekend.
- The Concours is held over three days and visitors do not have to generally worry about being on time. Friday the participants arrive and some go touring, which would be interesting to see. On Saturday, most of the action is in Owen Sound. Sunday is the 'official day' and if you stay until the end of it, you will be rewarded since awards are given by blue blazer folks in straw hats to the Concours contestants who are sometimes dressed in period gear as they drive off the 18th fairway from which there is a fine view of Georgian Bay.
- We drove leisurely from London on a Saturday to Owen Sound and did not even go to Cobble. There were three events in Owen Sound, one of which was "Cars and Coffee" in the downtown area and included some fine vehicles, most of the kind you see at "classic" car shows, and there were car seminars at the Roxy Theatre. The "classic" cars displayed over a couple of blocks were interesting, but our favourite part was the Concours d'Lemons, in the River District where you will find the, well, "Lemons", the kind of cars one makes fun of and which the participants do by displaying humorous signs. Here is the bonus for loyal readers of MM. The Tom Thomson Art Gallery is along the same street and apart from the exhibitions, it has a bathroom and a gentleman in the lobby provided vodka and lemonade.
- On that subject (i.e. mixed drinks) the finer dining areas at Cobble Beach are a bit off limits and crowded during the Concours, but there are food trucks on fairways and one can have a G&T or cold beer while looking at the cars and the spectators.
- As mentioned, we did not go to Cobble Beach on Saturday, but went directly to where we were staying in Southampton, which sounds like the kind of place one should stay when going to a Concours. The Southampton Inn is recommended as are the Highview Food & Drink Wine Bar and Room 797, both of which are just down the street. At least they were last year.
- Sunday began with a storm so we took our time having breakfast at the Inn since one does not have to be at the Concours at an appointed time. When you do arrive, signs will direct you to a parking area, from which you will be delivered and returned by busses.
- On the very long 18th fairway you will see automobiles you will never have seen before and many about which you have not heard. The Best in Show Award was given to a 1929 Cord and the Poetry in Motion Award went to a 1930 Duesenberg while the Tom Thomson Gallery Timeless Design Award went to a Lancia Stratos. There was also a Ferguson Super Sport, of which you will not be aware because there was only one made by an Avro Arrow engineer who was laid off when Diefenbaker cancelled that project. Among all the cars with lots of horsepower there were also some horseless carriages and Adam Bari from Tillsonburg displayed three elegant motorcycles, one of which was a 1913 Flying Merkel Racer.
- The cars often arrive from far away and according to Mr. McLeese (the Show Chair and Founder) they were from fourteen states and nine provinces. He says:
“I have got a car here that has taken me seven years to get here, I got another car that has taken me five years to get here, because you have to cajole the owners because it is a big deal for them. They spend a lot of money preparing their cars and doing the work and for some of these guys, this is their main asset, so this is a big deal for them."
- I could go on and photos were taken both by my wife and I. It is the case, however, that the website provided and many other sources offer far better, professional ones. There are also good YouTube videos. Do have a look at least.
- When the bus delivers you to Cobble Beach, you will be given a program. The one I now have from 2023 has 176 pages and photos of the cover and the Table of Contents are shown below.
Post Script:
-As the bus winds through the lanes and by the houses at Cobble Beach you may notice a few huge trucks which transported some of the cars. Unlike the ones that deliver new cars, these keep the automobiles safely wrapped inside.
At this point you may be thinking that all this elegance is a bit extravagant for our times, particularly if you are concerned about the environment. That is perhaps true and we should probably no longer do many of the things we do. On the other hand, more environmental harm is likely done by one Blue Jay's game if you consider all the fans who have to arrive at the stadium and the players who fly to get there.
It is also the case that the Cobble Beach Concours d'Elegance supports charities and this year the beneficiary is the Owen Sound Regional Hospital Foundation. In addition, the Concours raised over the past eight years more than $800,000 for the Sunnybrook Foundation and the Garry Hurvitz Brain Sciences Centre.
At this point you may be thinking that all this elegance is a bit extravagant for our times, particularly if you are concerned about the environment. That is perhaps true and we should probably no longer do many of the things we do. On the other hand, more environmental harm is likely done by one Blue Jay's game if you consider all the fans who have to arrive at the stadium and the players who fly to get there.
It is also the case that the Cobble Beach Concours d'Elegance supports charities and this year the beneficiary is the Owen Sound Regional Hospital Foundation. In addition, the Concours raised over the past eight years more than $800,000 for the Sunnybrook Foundation and the Garry Hurvitz Brain Sciences Centre.
Here is one of the photographs I took. See the Cobble Beach Concours d'Elegance & Motoring Festival website for better ones.
