By Robert Skinner | Delta City News | August 19, 2026
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Summer may be getting shorter, but on Wednesday and Friday evenings in Delta, there's still plenty of chrome shining in the late-afternoon sun.

Delta has two regular summer gatherings that have become familiar stops for local classic-car and hot-rod enthusiasts: Hot Rod Wednesdays at the Dairy Queen in Ladner and the Friday evening gathering at A&W in Tsawwassen.

With August 19 already here, there aren't many summer evenings left to experience them in 2026.

So if you've been meaning to go, don't leave it until next summer.

A Wednesday Evening in Ladner

Delta City News dropped into the Ladner gathering Wednesday, camera in hand but without much idea of what we might find.

What we found was considerably more interesting than simply a parking lot filled with old cars.

There were beautifully restored classics, hot rods, muscle cars, custom builds and performance machines — but spend a little time walking among them and something else becomes apparent.

Every car seems to have a story, and so does the person who owns it.

That's the story Delta City News wants to start telling.

One of the people we met Wednesday was Jody Wilson, owner of a striking red-and-gold customized 1950s Chevrolet.

The car is difficult to walk past without stopping.

But rather than try to tell its story after one conversation in a parking lot, we're going back.

Wilson has agreed to connect with Delta City News again Friday, when we'll learn more about the Chevrolet, what went into creating it and the story behind the man who owns it.

It will become the first Featured Car in a new Delta City News series.

Two Nights, Two Delta Traditions

The Ladner gathering takes place Wednesday evenings at the Dairy Queen on Ladner Trunk Road, while another group of enthusiasts brings their cars together Friday evenings at the A&W in Tsawwassen.

Neither requires you to be a collector or even particularly knowledgeable about automobiles.

You can simply come out and look.

For people who grew up with these cars, there is considerable nostalgia involved. A particular Ford, Chevrolet, Pontiac or other familiar badge can suddenly bring back memories of a first car, a family automobile or an era when cruising on a Friday night was entertainment in itself.

For younger visitors, these gatherings offer something completely different — an opportunity to see automobiles from an era when cars looked remarkably different from one another and owners routinely made them their own.

And behind many of them are years of restoration, mechanical work, searching for parts and thousands of hours of personal effort.

Delta Cars & Their Stories

That's where we're going next.

During the remaining weeks of this summer, Delta City News will visit both the Ladner Wednesday and Tsawwassen Friday gatherings, meet owners and photograph some of the vehicles that catch our attention.

We'll choose individual cars to feature and let their owners tell us the stories behind them.

And we're not looking at this as simply a few articles to finish off the summer of 2026.

We want to make it a Delta City News tradition.

When the cars begin coming out again next spring, we'll be back — following the gatherings throughout the 2027 season and introducing readers to more of the people, machines and automotive history found right here in Delta.

For now, though, there are still some summer evenings left.

Come out Wednesday in Ladner.

Come out Friday in Tsawwassen.

Walk around. Talk to an owner. Bring the kids or grandchildren. Find the car you remember from years ago.

And keep an eye on Delta City News.

Next up: Jody Wilson and one remarkable red-and-gold Chevrolet.

Robert Skinner - Publisher

Delta City News — Licensed Partner of the WBN News Network

Robert is a Ladner-based business systems developer and Publisher of Delta City News. Connect with Robert on: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rlskinner/

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