Woodies on the Wharf

Eras can often be define by their popular cars.

What would the 2000s be without the Hummer, the 80s without sports cars, the 60s without VW Vans?  This is the time of year when Santa Cruzans honor the iconic cars of the pre-60s decades.

That’s right, it’s time for another Woodies on the Wharf event.

Woodies on the Wharf is exactly what it sounds like — Santa Cruz Woodies, a local chapter of the national Woodies Club, show off their pre-1952 wood-bodied automobiles, and invite others to do the same.  The idyllic location of the Santa Cruz wharf just adds some extra eye candy to the day.

The first Woodies on the Wharf, in 1994, featured around three dozen woodies, already making it the second-largest round-up of woodies in the world.  The event has grown to over 200 woodies, and Santa Cruz Woodies expects the momentum to keep going in the years to come.

“We grew up with these cars,” Rowland Baker, co-founder of Woodies on the Wharf, has said.  “Many of them were running to the beaches here in the 60’s while we were trying to ride our bikes with our longboards under our arms.  When a few of us got together and thought about having a display of old woodies as they related to the Santa Cruz Surf culture, we never thought it would grow into one of the largest gathering of wooden cars in America.”

The woodies will be displayed in all their glory from 10 am to 4 pm, and it’s expected to be one of the busiest days on the Wharf all year.  You could easily spend the whole time checking out classic cars, but that’s not all there is to do at Woodies on the Wharf.

There’s live music, t-shirts and other memorabilia for sale, and the entire 100-year old Wharf to enjoy as well.  There’s also a raffle with tons of great prizes.

The raffle is representative of how much Woodies as an organization gives back to the community.  This list shows where the proceeds from all those raffle tickets go, and Woodies is also known for supporting state parks and lifeguard programs.

But possibly one of the best features of Woodies on the Wharf — after the cars, of course — is the accessibility.  Attending the event is completely free, and the Woodies are even smart enough to have a free bike valet service for all the car enthusiast who also love to pedal.  The Wharf is within walking distance from many hotels for out-of-towners, including the Dream Inn and Casablanca Inn.  Parking is extremely limited, so if you can’t walk or ride your bike then hop on the trolley from downtown for the quaintest 25 cent ride you’ll take all year.

Priuses (or is it priui?) may be all the rage in Santa Cruz these days, but to some it seems like not so long ago when woodies swarmed the beach on a sunny Saturday afternoon. Thanks to Woodies on the Wharf, we get a chance to see that happen again.