By Riley Wasek
What is a Rod Run festival and what does it mean to those in the community? Through my experience of attending the festival, as well as getting the opportunity to interview organizers, car owners, and attendees, I learned that Rod Run festivals are about preserving the past, appreciating the art of the automobile, and a chance for many to indulge themselves in the world of cars, whether that be out of curiosity or just enjoyment.
Maddy, the event coordinator of the festival, spoke with me about the process of curating the festival and all that went into it. She went over the precautions taken by the city to ensure proper trash disposal and parking availability. A grant from the city was given to Discover Vista to put on the festival in the first place because of the positive impact on the town brought in by events like these. When I asked Maddy about her overall views toward the event she stated “Love it! I think it’s a really unique opportunity to bring together the community, especially with the off-road section, you can really just tell everyone here loves their community, loves cars, and just loves each other”. Maddy’s feelings toward the event are something I wholeheartedly agree with. Just being there and walking around, I saw many strangers bonding, talking and being friendly, while sharing their love of a particular model.
When talking to the owners of these cars, I learned many interesting facts about not only cars but the car community itself. The vast majority (if not all) have rebuilt these cars themselves. Don, who was the proud owner of a Chevelle said that his main advice for future antique car owners was to remember
“the time and money that will go into it, don’t rush through it. Take your time and enjoy it”.
This stood out to me because I realized art and enjoyment of the process itself, which was what many car owners told me was why they were into it in the first place. When I asked Jason, who was the owner of a Pantera, what his motivation for showing his car was, he stated “I enjoy building them, it gives me something to do on the weekends” he also mentioned to me that as well as showing his car at festivals, he loves to attend them. The appreciation for cars everyone at the festival had was one of the first things that stood out to me. Including your average local family checking out the downtown event alongside your longtime car admirers, every person there was noticeably enamoured by the vessels. Peter, who told me of how he rebuilds many cars with his partner who he co-owns and autobody shop with, spoke to me of how he wished the younger generations would “start paying attention, start building them, and start caring about the past” His advice for anybody interested in cars is to “find Grandma’s old car in the shed and go work on it and use your mind to be creative”. Further encompassing the love of the artform and not just the look of the car itself.
Not only car owners and car-lovers are impacted in good ways, but so are local businesses. Robin, who is the owner of Bungalow 101 on Main Street in Downtown Vista spoke with me about the influx of customers she gets at different events in town throughout the year. As many Vista and Tri-City residents know, the Strawberry festival is one of the biggest events of the year held in downtown Vista, however she explained to me that she did not garner as big of sales as she receives during the Rod Run festival. The reason for this is something neither of us could ponder up an answer for. My guess would be that maybe the more low key and chill vibes of car enthusiasts are more likely to stroll into cute gift shops such as this one. Her and I also got into the gentrification of downtown in recent years and how good it is for the businesses lining the area.
“You can do everything here, get ice cream, get food, and there’s lots of fun shops”.
Robin said to me as we discussed the appeal of the growingly popular portion of town. I believe we will continue to see growth and prosperity in the unfolding years.
I got the chance to talk with two different photographers who attended. John, who is a professional photographer, and Dianara, a notice photographer. John told me he was at the festival supporting a friend whose car was there, as well as taking pictures for his own enjoyment. “It’s amazing, it’s like bringing the old times back”, John said in relation to the surrounding cars. With his career being a photographer, his focus is capturing moments in time, so it would make sense that this was what was running through his mind. However, I think many older people come to festivals like these to get a taste of nostalgia and remember their past. As well as many young people getting the chance to see first hand into how people lived in that time. I also asked John what his favorite song to blast on long car rides and he responded “anything Fleetwood Mac” and then further explained the ways music also reminded him of his past. Dianara explained to me how she wasn’t necessarily a car enthusiast but how she loved to be able to have enjoyable scenery and objects to photograph.
I would recommend checking out the festival at least once to anyone who’s even remotely intrigued. Everyone there is bonding over shared love of a hobby and interest. I even felt nostalgic and every single car there was manufactured well before I was born!
