Woodies on the Wharf

Each June, the weekend after Father’s Day, the Santa Cruz Woodie Club hosts one of the best little car shows anywhere. Woodies on the Wharf celebrated its 17^th anniversary this year and 185 cars showed up for the party. The event is extremely popular, both with locals and the woodie owners themselves. We regularly get cars from throughout the western states, and this year even had one couple ship their woodie all the way out from Connecticut.

I’m pretty busy with the event – we start work on it in February – and didn’t’t get a chance to shoot a lot of photos. I did snap a few of the more unique cars, especially the “big” woodies, but several of these shots came from members and friends of the club. Thanks guys.
The Shoebox Posse from So Cal is on the wharf at oh-dawn-thirty to stake out their usual turf.

Ideal weather includes a little fog (helps with sweatshirt sales), then sun around mid-morning (when T-shirt sales take over).  The Santa Cruz venue, with the Beach Boardwalk in the background, can’t be duplicated.

The Seabright Lifeguard Dodge is one of our favorites. Would this make a bitchen shop truck?

Ford Sportsman

This classy ’38 Pontiac looked like it had just rolled in from a dude ranch.

The Santa Cruz club is pretty easy-going about  allowing later year tin woodies into the show. Other events would’ve turned this Merc away.

This International’s styling might not be for everyone, but it could sure haul a lot of girl scouts.

Desert-fresh Buick.

This Suburban wagon had a modern driveline and a San Onofre Surf Club vibe.

Craig Johnson always drives something cool down from his home in the Pacific Northwest. That’s Al Engle’s Deuce in the background.

The parade off the wharf at the end of the day has turned into its own mini-event.

Sunday morning about 75 cars assembled for a beach cruise, which ended at the Santa Cruz harbor for coffee and snacks before everyone said aloha. Put Woodies on the Wharf on your calendar, and bring the family.