Main Street Reunion Car Show
August 19th • 10am to 3pm
Plus Show & Shine Car Show Preview
August 18th • 5 to 8:30pm
Just like cars, events occasionally need tune ups, and run all the better for them. Napa’s Main Street Reunion is moving, and will now be on Third and Main Streets.
“The Archer Hotel is going to be opening on First Street very soon, and we have to move events away from there so that their guests have access,” said Craig Smith of the Downtown Napa Association. “It’s actually a good thing. Third Street is wide enough that we can have three rows of cars on it. Folks won’t have to walk as far to view everything.” The footprint is the only thing that will change though.
“This event has been going strong for years,” said Mike Phillips, president of the Napa Valley Cruisers who co-hosts the show with the Downtown Napa Association. “We figure, ‘If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.’”
The car show features 400 pre-1976 cars, most in pristine condition. The majority of the cars being shown belong to locals. “I’m always amazed to see how many great cars there are right here in Napa. When you get them altogether like that, it’s impressive,” said Phillips. As the show has grown in popularity, it has attracted more and more car owners, some from Southern California, Arizona and Nevada. “There are four weekends of back-to-back shows in California, and some folks take their cars to all of them. That means that many more great cars for us,” said Phillips.
This year marks the fifth that the weekend begins with a Friday night Show & Shine, this year to be held at the parking lot at Soscol and Pearl, where the Cinedome used to be. “A Show & Shine event the night before the car show gives everybody another chance to see the cars in more of a party atmosphere,” said Tammy Robinette, vice-president of the Cruisers and co-chair of the car show. “People can check out all the great cars, enjoy something to eat and drink, plus listen to good music too. How great is that?” Show & Shine is limited to only 150 cars. Napa’s own The Diamond T will perform.
None of the organizers are quite sure when Main Street first started. “It was either ’97 or ‘98,” recalled Craig Smith of the Downtown Napa organization. “The Cruisers had been hosting a block-long event on Main Street for several years, with help from volunteers from the Napa Fire Fighters museum, but there was only room for a couple dozen cars.” The Cruisers wanted the show to grow, but had trouble getting through the red tape to pull it off. They approached the Downtown Napa Association about partnering. “When they first approached our organization, they challenged me to help get it off the ground,” said Smith. “Later, I got teased for being in charge of securing the Three P’s: permits, police and porta-potties.”
After a six or seven year run (again, accounts vary) the Cruisers decided to take a year off, which turned into a six year break. It came back seven years ago, stronger than ever. “This is probably the fourteenth or fifteenth show, it’s just taken twenty years to get to that number,” said Smith.
Trophies are a big part of the event. Two will be awarded at Show & Shine, and over forty will be given at Saturday’s Main Street Reunion. The cost to register a car for Main Street Reunion is $35, $40 after August 12th. Preregistration of $10 is required for Show & Shine. A portion of registration fees will be donated to the Napa Food Project to help stock the pantries of the Food Bank with good, quality food (and lots of it!). Participants and attendees are invited to bring non-perishable food items for donation. Applications are available at DoNapa.com, or by calling 257-0322.
Sponsored by Blue Moon, Lagunitas, Sam Adams, Team Superstores, Bank of Napa, Napa Valley Marketplace Magazine, Downtown Joe’s, Audio House, B&G Tires, and KVON/KVYN. Without their generous support, the show would not be possible. Visit DoNapa.com for full details.