Lost in the Fifties has become an important part of Sandpoint, Idaho. Women in town start getting their poodle skirts and bobby socks out of storage.
Men with classic cars start to put the finishing touch on their "pride and joy" getting ready for the big parade through town.
The event started as a fund-raiser for the Festival at Sandpoint. There were five or six cars in the Friday Night Cruise and 24 tee shirts were made up. When these sold another 24 would be ordered.
Space does not permit listing everyone that has made Lost in the Fifties what it has become, but two people stand out for their tireless efforts in making the event what it is today: Carolyn Gleason and Sally Transue.
Carolyn had been asked to be the Benefit Chair-person for the Festival at Sandpoint. Her job was to try and raise some money. Seeing that people were enamored by the fifties she thought about using that as a fund-raising theme. She was told that the fifties had been overdone, but she did not give up.
In 1986, the first Lost in the Fifties became a reality. Sally said, "We rolled up our jeans, did our hair like the fifties and went down town. We had a poster and one public announcement by the media and we went through town telling people about the event."
Carolyn remembers that the first car show was in the parking lot of the Vintage Wheel Museum on Cedar Street and 26 cars took part in the drive through town. She said, "Today people plan their vacations around the event and they come back year after year."
The first Lost in the Fifties featured Bobby Vee and Del Shannon as the main attractions.
By 1998, the Lost in the Fifties event was no longer connected with the Festival at Sandpoint. Today they have given money to local organizations such as Hospice, the Bonner County Food Bank, the Scouts, Panida Theater, and numerous other worthwhile groups. Tour Lost in the 50's |
