Local businesses feel impact of car show

Ignite the Nites is a car show that packs Mineral Avenue with cars. But, it’s also an event that gives the local businesses a boost in business.

“It’s just a nice big shot in the arm for us,” Doug Neidigh, the manager for the Caboose Motel, said. “That’s our biggest weekend of the year.”

Neidigh said they are booked for the next year before the year’s event is even over.

“It fills us up,” he said. “We will have our rooms booked before the weekend is even over. We have people come from all over. We have guys that come from Spokane that skip the car show that takes place there. It’s big for the community to have people from outside the community come in and see the town. It lets these older guys feel like teenagers again.”

Vicky Dunham of the Sandman Motel said they get booked a year in advance.

“It fills us up,” she said. “People make their reservations a year in advance before they leave town for the event. It’s a big deal for the community and local businesses.”

Diane Hoover of the Venture Inn and Restaurant said they open up their reservations January 1.

“We open our reservations for the weekend on January 1,” she said. “We have people call on New Years Eve at 12:01 a.m. to get their reservation. We were full in an hour. We got so busy this year that we actually got overbooked and we had to call the Country Inn to help us out.”

Hoover said that the restaurant is busy all weekend.

“The restaurant is booming that weekend,” she said. “It’s always busy. It’s a crazy weekend.”

Hoover said that it’s huge for the community to have people that want to come to Libby.

“It’s a fun weekend,” she said. “When they call and get their room they are happy, because they want to be here. It’s huge for the community.”