Back in 2003 a few Canadians gathered on a sunny summer day to talk about their BMWs over a few cold beers. This kind of thing can catch on. And so it did: the same four friends who originally met up to drool over each other’s Bavarian rides went on to launch TedFest – one of the biggest BMW concours in North America.

But don’t let the size fool you: while TedFest has established itself as Canada’s foremost classic BMW concours, you wont find any high-held noses or inflated chests – just a group of down-to-earth car enthusiasts who love to talk all things BMW.

Several hundred people now join the festivities held in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada – about a 1.5 hour drive from Buffalo, New York. Many BMW aficionados regularly make the drive up from every far-flung corner of the United States, adding international flare.

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If you have a penchant for classic BMWs, you’ll probably find your dream car at the show. Have a hankering for a 3.0 CSi? Check. E30 M3s? A dime a dozen. 2002s? Plentiful. 8 Series. Too easy. Alpina B7s? No problem. Okay – a wild card: BMW Z1. Yeah, TedFest’s got that covered too. (To read BMWBLOG’s Z1 drive review, click here.)

Plenty of tired, old BMWs show up as well, in fact to quote the website, “Barn finds, rust buckets, daily drivers, [and] garage queens are all welcome.” Even if your BMW isn’t lathered eight layers deep in Mothers, it’s still likely to catch several nods of approval from the TedFest perennials.

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Ultimately, TedFest is a gathering where young and old mix to share a mutual addiction to fine German cars. Ted Kalman chairs the event and you couldn’t find a more genuine BMW fan and kind-hearted gentleman if your scoured the earth. Prizes are raffled off (everything from M20 headers to a BMW pedal car), trophies, ribbons and stickers are awarded and accolades are exchanged – all over the original recipe of a few cold beers. The overall best-in-show winner of TedFest takes home the grand-prize, the Tedd Dancose Memorial Trophy – an honour that rivals taking home the Stanley Cup for these dedicated BMW enthusiasts.

I encourage all BMW drivers and fans to attend TedFest 2014. If it’s half the show it was this year, it’ll be worth the drive. Click here to visit TedFest.com.

Without further ado I leave you to our photo gallery shot earlier today. It was a hot one and I was covered in sweat, but if I’m honest, a bit of that moisture was drool.

[Photo Credit: Shawn Molnar]