The International Mustang Meet

       The International Mustang Meet is held annually on the Labour Day Weekend.  The location of the Meet alternates between a Canadian and American site each year and is sponsored by a host Mustang Club who belongs to the International.  Member clubs currently hail from Great Falls, Helena, Calgary, Edmonton, Red Deer, Regina, Saskatoon, Winnipeg, Vancouver, Billings, Missoula, and Spokane.  Participants renew old friendships and make new ones by participating in various activities from cruises, poker runs, drag races, and of course, the Show 'n Shine.

                          

        History :   The International Mustang Meet began in 1980 when two Mustangers, one American and one Canadian, met at a World of Wheels car show while each was showing a Mustang convertible. They became best friends and thought it would be a great idea that an International Meet between Canada and the U.S. be put on. It would be great to exchange ideas, parts, and all share in the preservation and restoration of the FORD Mustang.
    In 1980, the city of Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada, was chosen as the site of the 1st International Meet. There were three clubs, and each one took on some duties and responsibilities for the meet. The Labor Day weekend was chosen because each country has a three day break at the same time, allowing more time for travel.

                                                                                                                                 

 

     There were 75 cars at the first show, and that figure has risen to 300-400 cars each year. The bylaws for the meet require a minimum of 72 trophies for Mustangs 1964-1/2 through the current year, Shelby’s, Bosses, Cougars, and Special Interest Fords. All entries must be Ford and possess an all Ford drive train.
     The International Mustang Meet has grown into an organization comprised of thirteen clubs. There are 7 Canadian clubs and 6 American clubs. The organization meets twice a year for site selections and rule changes, if needed.
As the years have passed, the International Meet has become more than a car show. It’s a social event reuniting friends made thru the years. There are over 100 diehard entrants that come each year. With the balance of participants either new to the show or those who make just some of them, it’s a show that people will drive up to 1000 miles for, and some even plan their vacations around it. Some arrive 2-3 days early and some stay 1-2 days after the meet.
     The show begins on Friday afternoon with registration and vehicle classification. There is usually a Welcome Party on Friday evening for all participants. Saturday is the show day, with all participants in the show from noon until 4:00 PM. Saturday evening usually features a social event of some kind. Sunday is for the Auto Cross and the Poker Run. The Awards Banquet is Sunday evening with about 300 people attending. Monday is the farewell breakfast and the end of the meet.
      The Canadian clubs in the International are from Edmonton, Calgary, Saskatoon, Regina, Winnipeg, Red Deer and Vancouver. The American clubs are from Great Falls, Helena, Billings, Missoula, and Spokane. The show site is selected 1-1/2 to 2 years ahead of the show date to allow enough time for planning the event. To our knowledge, there is no other International Meet in existence, so this is truly one of a kind. Participants in the meet come from as far away as Idaho, Washington, California, Colorado, Nevada, Wyoming, North and South Dakota, British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. The show site alternates each year from the United States to Canada and back, meaning a different city every year. Several cities have hosted multiple shows.

  

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