Ain’t no stink’n lockdown gonna keep the hot rod in the garage! The Quarantine Cruise was a concept that started with a few cars in April and the event on Feb 21, 2021 was the 12th version of the effort to get hot rodders and their cars out of lockdown and on the street where they belong.
Every sponsored car show that we are aware of was cancelled or pushed to later in 2021 or beyond so car people were anxious to get out in the sun and fresh air. As a result, this single event has quickly reached participation levels that sponsored shows can take years to achieve.
The February Quarantine Cruise started at SoCo Center in Costa Mesa and by 9:00 am about 600 hot rods, trucks, sports cars and other special interest vehicles filled the parking lot of the still-sleeping shopping center.
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The cars in attendance were varied and offered a lot to look at.
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And it wasn’t just the hot rods that got out to enjoy the sun. Our 4-legged friends (like Charlie, below) also had a good time.
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There was a get-together of (mostly) tri-five Chevys in the nearby Costco parking lot.
At 9:15 the cars started moving out for a cruise via the scenic route to Beach Boulevard and Newland in Huntington Beach. Some of the cars found a parking spot at the busy shopping center while many cruised the lot and up and down Beach Boulevard.
YIKES!!!! Which way is out.
A Quarantine Cruise is scheduled every month through December 2021 and is free to all comers. Text “CRUISE” to 21000 for updates and details or check out surfcityusa.com.
It will be interesting to see how well the sponsored shows come back and how they compete with events such as this and Donut Derelicts that allow rodders to meet, mingle and cruise without an entrance fee, both events flourishing during the lockdown.
We travel Beach Boulevard frequently but today wasn’t the usual ho-hum experience – today the drive was accompanied by the rumble of powerful engines and the flash of colorful paint jobs.
The next Quarantine Cruise is scheduled for March 21, 2021.
