After a good show on Friday and fun dinner at
Punch Pizza over on Grand Ave, the crew and I were back at the fairgrounds bright and early for Saturday. Obviously, a few show goers were not ready for such as early morning.
To make it through a day at Back to the 50's you need what the crew and I refer to as, "show fuel." You cannot go a day without a bucket of cookies, a pork chop on a stick and a few orders of cheese curds. Just don't tell your doctor or wife what you ate while you were there.
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| We weren't the only ones enjoying the cheese curds. |
Saturday was a a little hazy to start, but ended up being a nice day. There was a chance of rain in the afternoon and with the exception of a few minutes of showers, we were able to avoid it. Still, the crowds came out to spend their Saturday checking out classic cars and listening to some oldies.
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| A mini RC racetrack was setup for the junior racers (& one adult). |
Mecum Auctions was hosting an event at the Auditorium on Saturday of the show. Unfortunately, I did not have a chance to make it over to the auction during the event.
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| I enjoyed the "Gasholes" Car Club sign. |
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| We weren't the only ones ordering cookies by the bucket either. |
There were plenty of tattoos on display at the show, but not too many cooler than these hot rod inspired pieces. Thank you to one of our local customers who let me snap these photos when he stopped by our booth. This guy is definitely a car nut and we thank him for that.
Late in the day, everyone started to pile in their cars and start cruising just like the night before. They piled into convertible cars and pickups for the traditional drive around the fairgrounds.
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| Hanging out in the Cadillac |
There were plenty of custom paint jobs on display, but there were also a number of cars with primered or original paint that still looked cool, even if it showed its age.
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| Custom 3-Wheel Pickup |
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| That's a custom exhaust |
After the show we headed over to the home of local customer and friend, Ed Belkengren, for a BBQ and socializing with friends. My father bought a '32 Ford from Ed many years ago and they have remained friends since. Ed has built a number of clean and fast hot rods in his day.
On Sunday morning we were back at the show for the final day.
Usually, Sunday is a quiet day, but the event still brought in a lot of cars and people. The big draw on Sunday morning was the annual swap meet. A few hundred swappers sent up on Sunday morning and there was definitely plenty to see. The aisles were packed with people all morning, but there was some unique stuff to look at and purchase.
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| I think I have seen this guy before. |
Need a door for your pickup? How about a bed? A fender?
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| Vintage oil and tins cans for the garage, plus a new hat |
A peanut roaster from the 1890s.
In Los Angeles, everyone goes to the Rose Bowl Swap Meet to pickup vintage home goods and clothing. The Back to the 50's swap meet is the place to go if you are looking for vintage bar items, classic toys, Schwinn bicycles and large automotive signs.
Before packing up and heading home I was able to take a few photos of cool cars leaving the show. We had a great weekend in St. Paul and the
California Car Cover crew and I look forward to being back at the show next year.
Check back next time for more coverage from upcoming events.
