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Hot rods, rat rods, roadsters and classic cars of every shape and color will cruise down 3rd Street and take over Beachfront Park this weekend.

Known as Crescent City’s “last big hurrah” before the rainy season starts, the 28th-Annual Sea Cruise Car Show will begin with a Show ’n’ Shine on Friday, continue with a judged show on Saturday and end with a poker run on Sunday.

“Without all of the donations and the sponsors and the volunteers, this thing would not happen,” Cindy Vosburg, executive director of the Crescent City-Del Norte County Chamber of Commerce, told the Wild Rivers Outpost. “It’s a free event, and it’s all because of our great community and all the businesses that support this.”

Occurring during what’s known in tourism circles as the shoulder season, Sea Cruise is a boost to the economy just before businesses wind down for the winter, Vosburg said. It fills up the restaurants and hotels, she said. Shops will be crowded with customers. It’s an event that multiple generations enjoy, Vosburg said.

The local chamber of commerce partners with the Northern Knights Car Club to put on Sea Cruise. Other major sponsors include Lucky 7 Casino and the Crescent City Downtown Divas, which will hold both its monthly Live From Downtown: It’s First Friday event and Sea Cruise and Brews on Friday.

Before the Show ’n’ Shine participants in Sea Cruise can register starting at 10 a.m. Friday at the old Daley’s Building, 964 3rd Street in Crescent City. The Show ’n’ Shine will begin at 4 p.m., enabling enthusiasts to get a sneak peak at the competition for Saturday, Vosburg said.

Sea Cruise and Brews will feature live music from Stephanie La Torre and the Reverbs and the Spence Brothers Blues Band.

Also on Friday will be a sanctioned cruise through Downtown Crescent City. This year people can participate in the cruise whether they’re in Saturday’s show or not, Vosburg said. Participating in the cruise costs $10. People can register for the cruise by visiting the Daley’s Building, she said.

The judged portion of Sea Cruise starts at 10 a.m. Saturday at Beachfront Park. Local disk jockey, Scott Graves, will play music from the 70s, 80s and 90s, Vosburg said. The Elks Lodge will also have a dinner and dance following the car show, she said.

According to Vosburg, people will want to keep an eye out for Pacific Power and the utility’s two electric cars.

“A lot of people hear about electric cars, but many of us have never had the opportunity to drive one,” she said. “For free, you can drive one of their two electric cars around town and see what it’s like to be in a car that’s earth friendly.”

For many community members, Sea Cruise is a chance to raise money for a worthy cause. Del Norte County Sheriff Erik Apperson said he hopes to create a scholarship through the Del Norte Scholarship Foundation for local graduates pursuing a career in public safety.

“I have been spending last year working with some buddies in the community to make a 1950s Sheriff’s Office patrol car,” Apperson said. “The idea is if you’re out in Sea Cruise and you want to get a staged picture with an old cop car pulling over your hot rod, then I can do that. I don’t know, it’ll be around $20 or $25 and then all the proceeds go into that scholarship foundation.”

Apperson, who’s into anything on wheels that requires fuel and oil, said he found the car in Gold Beach about a year ago. He and his friends transformed the vehicle into a rat rod with the original motor, transmission, electrical and brake systems and pin-striping, custom paint and other graphics.

“But I’m leaving the 70-year-old patina the car has and just clear coating that,” Apperson said.

On Sunday, visitors and locals, whether they’re participating in Sea Cruise or not, can take part in another good cause and potentially win some cash. The Del Norte Senior Center will hold its annual poker run starting at the Kidtown parking lot at Beachfront Park. Registration will be held from 9 a.m.-10 a.m. Sunday.

Poker hands are $5 each and takes participants on a 25-mile scenic drive throughout Del Norte County. Players will draw cards at five stops. The run will end at the Del Norte Senior Center where a complimentary tri-tip barbecue lunch will be served, according to a news release.

Players will be able to improve their hands by participating in a dart game. There will also be music, a 50-50 raffle and a silent auction, according to the senior center.

According to the senior center’s news release, the poker run generates dollars that supplements programs that rely on uncertain federal funding. The Del Norte Senior Center served 42,497 meals to seniors in Crescent City, Smith River and Klamath in the last fiscal year. The senior center also provided heating assistance to 918 households and weatherization services to 35 households, according to the press release.

Sponsors for this year’s poker run include Renner Petroleum, Pacific Power, Elk Valley Rancheria, the Tolowa Dee-ni’ Nation and Del Norte Ambulance.

For more information about the poker run, call (707) 464-3069. 

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