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25th annual event followed by community’s Independence Day parade KENNETH SONG / NEWS-PRESS PHOTOSPeople peruse the many vehicles on display at the Rods and Roses car show in Carpinteria on Saturday.
Carpinteria’s 25th Annual Rods and Roses car show took place on Saturday for the first-time since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. The event took place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and was followed by the Independence Day parade at 3:30 p.m.
“It’s wonderful, we have had thousands of people roll through, it’s the 25th anniversary. It’s a lovely day in Carpinteria, the sun is shining and kids are making money on the flower bouquets for FFA. It’s really great, we have cars all the way up Linden Ave.” Mike Lazaro, event organizer, told the News-Press. “This is really bringing people together. The businesses are enjoying it immensely. We don’t bring in vendors. We want people to shop locally, eat locally and support locally.”
Members of the local Boy Scouts march down Linden Avenue during Carpinteria’s Independence Day Parade on Saturday.A part of the annual event is for kids to sell rose bouquets with the proceeds going to support the event’s beneficiaries. This is from where the event derived its name. This year’s beneficiaries include: Future Farmers of America (FFA), Carp Women of Agriculture, Hopenet, The Alcazar Theatre, The California Avocado Festival and the Warriors boosters.
“We have everything you have ever dreamt about since high school, the true muscle cars from Detroit,” said Mr. Lazaro. Some organizations represented at the event included the Hammer Organization, the Peterson Museum and the Neighborhood Hot Rod Project. “We have a variety of cars from the 30s, custom hot rods all the way up through the 80s and a few ferraris as well. We have collectors items and really expensive cars from the 60s and 70s,” said Mr. Lazaro.
Above and below, cars are on display during the Rods and Roses Show in Carpinteria on Saturday.Gary Dobbins, an organizer of the event, spoke to the fascination with old cars: “I think it’s the different eras everyone grew up in, from high school to college, and when the guys came back from WWII they took the cars and converted them into hot rods and there was drag racing. Then in the 60s it was muscle cars. Everyone has a different story.”
“We have about 200 cars, six blocks all the way down Linden Avenue to the beach,” said Mr. Dobbins. Organizers estimate there were probably between 7,500 and 10,000 attendees.
A group of children ride their bicycles down Linden Avenue during Carpinteria’s Independence Day Parade on Saturday.“Everybody is so excited. It’s so positive they are excited to be outdoors again and see the cars. The energy level is so high. I’m having a great time. My 1934 is getting so much notice. Carpinteria has missed the event these last two years,” said Mr. Dobbins.
The Independence Day parade usually attracts between 2,500 and 4,000 people. About 25 entries were registered for the parade, and organizers expected up to 30 to take part.
email: kzehnder@newspress.com
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