FRIDAY, AUGUST 16 • 5-8PM
By Craig Smith
FREE Admission & Parking IN the parking lot at the corner of Pearl and Yajome (where the Farmers Market is held)
Eight years ago, the popular Main Street Reunion Car Show became a two-day event, when organizers added Show and Shine the Friday night before the main show. It features 150 pre-1976 cars that are show-ready, and it’s a great opportunity to get a more relaxed look at the cars.
Unfortunately, the Saturday portion of the event, Main Street Reunion, was cancelled after last year. The cost of hosting the event has increased a great deal over the years, making it cost prohibitive for the Downtown Napa Association (DNA) to continue hosting it downtown. “You’d think a car show wouldn’t be that expensive, but it is. And since COVID, a number of the car show sponsors have had to reduce their support,” said Bill La Liberte, Executive Director of the DNA. “We already provide three free events for Napa: the Friday Nights in the Park music series, Halloween Trick or Treating and the Christmas Parade. Something had to give, and unfortunately, it was the car show.”
Fortunately, somebody on Bill’s team had the brilliant idea to continue with the Friday night Show and Shine. “There are still costs associated with it, but I figured out a way to make it happen.” Show and Shine features 150 pre-1976 cars that are show-ready, and it’s a great opportunity to get a more relaxed look at the cars. The car owners are there and you can ask them as much about their vehicles as you wish.
This year’s Show and Shine is August 16 from 5 to 8PM, in the parking lot at the corner of Pearl and Yajome (where the Farmers Market is held). Admission to view the cars is free. Many Napans take advantage of the cooler evening weather and relaxed atmosphere to bring their families to check out the cars. Grab something to eat and drink while you are enjoying the cars, or make an evening of it and have dinner downtown before or after. Either way, you’ve got a great Friday night.
“Traditionally, Show and Shines were an opportunity for folks participating in the next day’s big event to wipe down their cars and get them show-ready,” said Bill La Liberte of the Downtown Napa Association. “Our Show and Shine has turned into a stand- alone event. The cars are in pristine condition and 100% ready for viewing.”
Anyone interested in showing a car at Show and Shine can do so by visiting DoNapa.com/event/show-and-shine-2024/. The cost is $20 per car. This one always fills up – advance registration is required.
The Downtown Napa Association and Napa Valley Cruisers hosted Main Street Reunion for over twenty-five years. The event began as a two-block, one-day only show on Main Street in front of the old Firefighters’ Museum at the corner of Main and Pearl, and featured less than fifty cars. It quickly outgrew that spot, last year hosting close to 400 cars on Third and Main Streets. “We got amazing feedback about the event, which made having to discontinue it that much harder,” said La Liberte.
Fortunately, although the DNA can no longer host Main Street Reunion, that event will go on as well. Julie Morales, who used to work with the DNA and who ran the show for most of that time, formed her own event company, TEAM Morales Events. They are partnering with the Napa Valley Cruisers to host Main Street Reunion at the Napa Expo in October, which they will combine with Blues, Brews & BBQ. “It’s a great solution to the problem, said La Liberte. Now, both events can continue, and Napa won’t lose a beat.”