Is it a Cruise or a car show?

Is it a cruise or a car show?! Each year we are asked variations of this question about our annual CruiseFest. The answer is that it is a little bit of everything—a cruise, a car show, a festival, and a concert all packed into one spectacular evening. This year’s CruiseFest was a huge success and a big part of that success is all the hard work our Membership Coordinator Adam puts into making sure the event goes smoothly for everyone involved. Adam wrote this blog post to share his vision for what CrusieFest is and can become. Check it out!

On Friday the 5th (also known as “T-minus one day until CruiseFest”), I went out to dinner with my wife. I’d had no time to go grocery shopping, and even if I had, I would have had zero motivation to cook.

We all have those weeks, right?

She carried most of the conversation, because I was pretty exhausted by that point. She asked “So your event tomorrow…is it a cruise, or a car show?” My response? “It’s both”. I wondered if that concept might be confusing to people. Based on the volume of calls I’d gotten that week, it seemed possible.

But then my wife (who incidentally is not a car person) asked another question; one that inspired me. “You mean like Monterey Car Week?” I’d given her the full debrief from my first ever trip to Monterey, where I was able to check out the Tour d’Elegance stopover on Ocean Avenue in Carmel. That’s a combination cruise and car show, right? And based on the crowds, everyone is delighted, no one is confused, and most of those car owners spend more on their cars than they do on their mortgage.

No…CruiseFest isn’t EXACTLY like Monterey Car Week. But I like the way you think.

CruiseFest could someday be the centerpiece of Sacramento Car Week. Why not? I think we’re well on our way. We had 360 cars participate this year, 120 more than last year. We had a fun morning news spot on Friday (complete with the Oscar Meyer Weinermobile and Planters Peanutmobile), and all week CruiseFest participants drove their cars down to the Museum in droves to pick up their packets. They met their fellow cruisers, swapped stories, and checked out our new exhibit. There were times when it felt like a party! I can see the potential of this thing turning into a solid week of festivities for car lovers.

But I don’t mean to overlook the big success of this year’s CruiseFest. Some highlights that jump out at me

· Lots of local beer on tap from our friends at Lagunitas and SacTown Union. Trust us, these breweries will be a big part of Sacramento Car Week.

· Another showdown in a classic car battle We ended up with 138 Chevys registered versus 65 Fords. That’s a 2:1 ratio! I’m not trying to throw down the gauntlet or anything, but for you Ford folks out there…step up next year!

· Participation from LOTS of local car clubs, including Sacramento Area Miata Owners Association (SAMOA),Porsche Club of America-Sac Valley Region, 356 California Alta Region,Metropolitan Club-Capitol Chapter, Northern CA Pontiac GTO Club, Early Ford V8 Club-Sacramento Region,Northern California Pontiac GTO Club, Burgiemen Capitol City Car Club, Capital City Mopars , Family First Car Club (Lowriders), Sacramento Area Mustangs

· Our first ever “WOW Awards” presented by our junior judges. We are dedicated to cultivating the car hobby in the next generation through our education and outreach efforts! This program is a wonderful step in that direction

It takes an army of people to put this thing on, from on-site volunteers to the marketing people who spread the word, to the law enforcement folks who keep everyone safe…and last but not least, the people who support the Museum, register for the show, and turn out as spectators. We appreciate each and every one of you. On behalf of our staff and board of directors, thanks for a superb CruiseFest 2018!