Anthony Eramya
Staff Writer
Flying Deuces hosted the 29th annual Cool Cruise Car Show in Old Town La Verne on Saturday, featuring over 400 classic cars.
The event spanned from E Street to B Street with some cars parked in the parking lot by La Fetra and the Wilson Library as well.
There were well over 500 people at the event with the purpose of the event to raise money for the La Verne K9 Police Foundation. To raise the money they used a raffle system and even raffled away a TV to whoever wanted to enter.
“We sponsor thousands of car shows,” Jim Frey, founder of Car Guy Garage, a Chicago-based garage refurnishing company said. “Car culture feels like it is dying,” Frey said. “We sponsor these events to keep car culture alive.”
“About 30 years ago I had a meeting to see what we can do to revitalize the downtown area. I pitched a car show,” LD Johnson, a long time worker for the city of La Verne, said.
“I talked to a couple friends who produced and promoted car shows and about four months later we had around 179 cars at the first annual show,” Johnson said.
The La Verne K9 Police Foundation were not the only beneficiaries of the event; the event also hosted a pop up shop for the Magic Makers Mart right out of the Ludwick Center.
Inside of the pop up shop they were selling things like bags, key chains, manufactured flowers and some jewelry.
There were consistently 15 to 100 people walking around the Magic Makers Mart and right outside of the pop up they had a play area for kids which included a large Connect Four set, some cornhole and even some child-friendly axe throwing.
La Verne students definitely could have felt frustrated as all the streets were blocked off meaning those exiting Campus North would have to take the long way traveling around the event.
The University also was affected by the amount of people at the event, all of the 90 minute to three hour parking spots were filled with vintage car aficionados, even those reserved for the city.
It could have been much worse for La Verne students as one year the event hosted just under 1,700 cars.
Very little of the event attendees took advantage of the University of La Verne parking structure which had many open spots on the ground level.
However the businesses in Old Town La Verne were more than pleased having lines outside the door at Nambah Coffee and Mi Cocina.
The recently opened Beverage House also experienced a boom in customers on Saturday as those looking at the cars were looking for cold beers on the hot day as well.
“I like walking around [Old Town La Verne],” Joe Calderon, a regular attendee of car shows in the Inland Empire, said.
“I have never been to this part of La Verne before but that is the fun of these shows, exploring new places,” Calderon said.
It was so hot that some folks who were not even presenting their cars at the show set up tents and just chatted with other local car enthusiasts.
With some of these cars dating all the way back to the early 1910s it was surprising to see how well kept they were, with very few showing any signs of rust.
The La Verne Police Department and Fire Department also had booths with the Fire Department showing off an old school vehicle as well.
This was a great event for not only gearheads but families just looking for something to do. There were many families with kids and dogs patrolling through Old Town La Verne looking around at all the classic cars.
“I used to come to all these car shows with my dad when I was a kid,” Noah Perez, car photographer influencer, said.
Anthony Eramya can be reached at anthony.eramya@laverne.edu.
Anthony Eramya, a senior journalism major, is a staff photographer for the Campus Times and La Verne Magazine. He has previously served as a staff writer for both publications.
