Who you gonna call? FireFest.
A replica of Ecto-1, the Ghostbuster mobile from the 1984 movie, will be part of the sixth annual FireFest Chatham-Kent in September.
It will join upwards of 100 antique firefighting vehicles, police cars and ambulances to be displayed in Chatham’s downtown core Sept. 23.
DeNure said organizers seek out a unique vehicle to showcase each year.
“Ecto-1 is the feature vehicle this year. Every year we try to bring in a vehicle to pique everyone’s interest,” he said. “It’s the world’s most popular emergency response vehicle.”
At Ecto-1’s core is a 1959 Cadillac hearse/ambulance.
It and the other vintage vehicles will be on display from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sept. 23 in the downtown. DeNure said some are from as far back as the 1840s, with the newest being from 1990.
“It’s really a remarkable evolution,” he said of the vehicles used to fight fires.
On top of the plethora of vehicles on display, there will also be safety demonstrations, the Junior F.I.R.E. Challenge course, Stan the Magical Fireman, the Detroit Fire Department Clown team, stilt walkers and other entertainers.
Firesound, an eight-piece musical group comprised of Toronto-area firefighters will also perform. DeNure said after they were part of last year’s entertainment, they had to come back.
“Firesound was a huge hit last year. They put on an amazing show. It was a no brainer to get them back,” he said.
There will also be two special tributes – to the 50th anniversary of the Detroit 1967 Riots, including memories from people who covered the event; and to the crash of Northwest Airlines Flight 255 along with an appearance by the first responder who rescued the sole survivor in 1987.
FireFest will conclude with a parade of vehicles. Construction on the Fifth Street Bridge will force a change in the parade route, which will be unveiled in September.
The Ecto-1 replica, based out of Quebec, will be the featured star at “Friday Night Lights” Sept. 22. DeNure said the original Ghostbusters movie will be shown at dusk at The Boonies Drive-In Theatre in Tilbury, with gates opening at 7:30pm.
The event, sponsored by the St. Clair College Alumni Association, will also include several vintage fire trucks that will parade from Chatham to the drive-in starting at 6 p.m.
DeNure admits prepping for FireFest is a lot of work, but he said it’s worth it.
“It’s so rewarding the day of FireFest. It’s grown to an event where we start planning 10 months out,” he said. “We love to give the public a reason to come back every year.”
DeNure, who is an antique emergency vehicle collector, said it’s great to see the interest by the public in such vehicles.
“We take it for granted because we’re collectors,” he said. “We hop in a truck and go. But this (FireFest) is a very interactive experience for a lot of people.”
Fire Fest draws people in from great distances. DeNure said in 2016, people came from as far away as Texas, British Columbia and Alberta.
“The brand has really built itself. We’re just hoping for good weather and a great turnout,” he said.
With sunny skies, FireFest could see upwards of 100 vehicles on display and 15,000 people in the downtown core over the course of the day.
That includes a number of tiller fire trucks, the longer big-city ladder trucks that steer at both ends, allowing the big vehicles to negotiate tight turns in close quarters on urban streets.
DeNure said what will be on display for FireFest has yet to be finalized.
“We’re still working on things. We’re proud of what we have so far, but there are a couple of ‘moving parts’ in the works,” he said. “They could really add attention to Chatham-Kent.”
