Depot Day shatters registration records

WALLACE — It was a record-breaking year for the Inland Northwest’s longest-running car show as Depot Day attracted hundreds of classic cars and thousands of people.

Kathy Harper, director of the Northern Pacific Depot Museum, said 319 vehicles registered for the show, up from last year's 307, and nearly 2,500 people made their way into town.  

Seventy-four trophies were awarded, but it was Spokane’s Gary Damm’s 1957 Chevy Nomad that brought home the prestigious Best of Show trophy. 

“It was a great kickoff to our summer season,” Harper said. 

The one-day festival celebrates a part of Wallace lore: the historic moving of the Northern Pacific Railroad Depot from its original location on the north side of the Coeur d’Alene River to its current location, where it operates as a museum. 

Next year will mark the 40th anniversary of the move, while also coinciding with the Depot’s 125th birthday.

The annual Depot Day raffle was won by locals Elmer and Corki Mattila, who won a framed print of the Depot that is surrounded by commemorative coins minted by the Sunshine Mine.  

Harper thanked volunteers and local businesses Dave Smith, O’Reilly Auto Parts and Idaho Strategic Resources.

    Gary Damm, pictured with wife Sharon, won Best of Show at the 2025 Depot Day Car Show.