PCA Porsche Parade 2017 Spokane, Washington
Published On August 28, 2017
Of all the p-car centric happenings, there are few as established as the PCA’s Parade event. Dating back as far as 1956, Porsche Parade is a stuttcar spectacle that’s been around longer than the 911 itself. With a Concours d’Elegance, banquets galore, autocross, a 5k run and more, there’s plenty to experience at Parade for all ages. This year marked the 62nd year of Parade & our 4th year in attendance. Between Gold Rush stopping through & Porsche Parade, Spokane never knew what hit ’em.
Not a bad way to spend a week in Washington, right? Well, there’s plenty more where that came from.
Experiencing Porsche Parade 2017
Nearly every model of Porsche imaginable found its way to this year’s Parade. Of course, we came prepared as well. With the help of JK2 Detailing, we outfitted our display with an ULTIMATE equipped 911 Carrera S from Porsche of Spokane.
During the first half of the event, they roped off a beautiful 918 for a lobby display. Luckily enough, as the event unfolded we found it unguarded in an adjacent hallway.
A few other red cars were visible around the hospitality & vendor hall, but one stood out among the rest.
Little did we know, an unveiling was in order for the night of the Pirelli Welcome Party. Shortly after the opening remarks, Porsche rolled out a brand new GT3. The car later found its way to the Concours lawn, before finally resting in the hotel.
PCA Concours d’Elegance at Riverfront Park
We awoke on Monday to the sounds of flat 6s making their way to Riverfront Park as the PCA Concours began.
The sheer variety on display for the concours was mind boggling. From Boxsters to Caymans, RSs and beyond, it didn’t disappoint.
Porsche had their own manufacturer’s line up featuring the new GT3 among others. With plenty of freebies & all sorts of cool branded merchandise to check out, we hopped in line to see what was up for grabs.
The swag bags were bountiful with brochures, stickers, keychains and then some. The hot ticket item though was a pair of complimentary Tequipment sunglasses.
While the judges made their rounds, we perused the park to photograph a few of our favorites. Among them was an exceptionally clean 912 with a unique polished roof rack.
Nearly every model imaginable was present, from a Porsche tractor to a rare black 959. Rows of 356s, 911s, 912s, and Carreras seemed to never end. From what we heard, the dedicated participants of the Concours had tolled late into the previous evening prepping, and it showed with many immaculate vehicles.
Legends of the Autocross
Among the various driving tours & road rallies, the autocross event is a must on Porsche Parade. Held over a two day period in a large lot near Spokane County Raceway, autocross brought out a crowd.
The staging lanes appeared to be largely dominated by Caymans and Carreras, but the lot featured a little bit of everything.
In particular, a gorgeous Yachting Blue GT3 RS caught our eye. Clocking in a lap at 37.552, it pulled the quickest time for its class.
Delicious Dinners & Banquets Galore
After the activities wound down each day, it was time to break away from the XPEL display & socialize. This year’s Porsche Parade featured five distinct evening banquets. With a variety of plated & buffet style menus, each evening was a treat. Of course, one of our favorites was the taco bar at the Michelin Late Apex AutoCross Banquet. Between the Hospitality Hall and Convention Center, the evenings were well spent with good food in good company.
The banquets also highlighted an array of display vehicles. One in particular that stood out was a brand new Boxster wearing a Sport Classic Grey paint job.
Each banquet was accompanied with awards & door prizes from the day’s activities or event sponsors. We gave away some Tracwrap temporary protective film , and one lucky person even won an ULTIMATE install.
It’s always a pleasure getting to know more PCA members and the Parade’s banquets were a great opportunity to do so. We’re still “new” attendees compared to many of the Parade’s lifers, but they welcomed us with open arms regardless.
Porsches on Patrol – Parading Around Spokane
The stream of Porsches entering the fairgrounds seemed to go on for miles. Auto crossers and Concours participants alike arrived one by one, ready for the 13 mile caravan through Spokane.
Having a police escort through downtown was an awesome way to cap off our week at Porsche Parade, especially when riding in style.
As luck would have it, we hitched a ride with PCA’s Executive Director Vu Nguyen in a brand new Panamera GTS.
With the comfort & speed of a private jet, the Panamera ferried us down Spokane Falls Boulevard. As we closed the gap on the Davenport Grand, a small crowd formed outside to cheer on the Parade’s participants.
All in all our 4th year at Porsche Parade was as wonderful an experience as ever. It’s estimated that somewhere around 2,500 PCA members made it out to Washington, and it was great!