downtown napa,ca. car show prices?

we usualy go to the downtown napa car show but my friends said it cost so much to go and will wait for billitproof in sept for all of us to get together again. so i went in my daily driver to check it out. looked like car count was way down this year, i stopped to talk to the people at registration desk to ask them why it cost $40 to enter? told them that we did not bring our cars this year and cost was one of the reasons, they told me they have nothing to do with the entry cost and its decided by the downtown napa business asscoiation, and that permits to have this show cost them $12,000! i could not believe that! DOES IT REALLY COST THAT MUCH TO THROW THIS SHOW? ANYONE HAVE ANY INFORMATION? im just curious and will shut my mouth and stop complaining about entry cost if this is true,

 

Just guessing but insurance, permits from city and goody bags are putting show's out of business

 

You would think that an event that brings outsiders with money to spend into any town is a smart move, but most political types screw it up no matter what town it is.

 

RUN TO THE SUN IN LAKE HAVASU cITY RAN INTO THE SAME ISSUE WITH THE CITY, POLICE, AND INSURANCE. They moved the cruise to the new shopping mall North of town from what I hear. October 19-23 2011

 

I'm the VP of the club, and was there at 4AM putting up all the extra signs, barricades, and cones that were suddenly required by the city and the PD- on Wednesday of this week.... And if you were there, you'd have noticed that the parking layout was very different this year, thanks to the Fire Dept.- we had to leave a 20' wide lane for them, for their 8' wide trucks.... so we could only park on one side of the street. There were just as many cars, but we had to spread them out into new spaces. Topper, again as of Wednesday, the PD wouldn't allow us to let any cars leave until all the people were out of the street- try that for fun So I got both ends, I was the first guy in the entrance line sorting out the groups and directing the cars (the big ugly redheaded beyotch ), so I got to hear all the wanna-be power parkers, why can't I have the very best space, I don't wanna park there, repeat, repeat... Then try to explain to the folks that they can't leave yet because there's folks wandering in off the sidewalks, and try to herd the cats back on the walks- and more walk out behind you. PD guys were pretty mellow, in fact they were laughing at me as I'd get 10 out, and 15 more wandered back in Actually didn't go that bad, as long as there wasn't anyone in front of the cars driving out, they didn't give us any grief. Funny thing, as we set the last few signs about 6AM, one of the PD pulled up and asked what was going on, was there a special event today After all the fussing they did, he wasn't even told about the event.
And yes, the permit went from less than $1K a couple years ago, to $12K this year- can you spell cashcow? Beaurocracy sucks
Also, to be clear, the merchants' assn sets the prices, and the club doesn't take ANY money from the show, strictly volunteer labor- I got up at 2:30, was there at 4 setting signs & barricades, and just now got home (after a couple quick stops to unwind) We also don't enter our own vehicles (display only), to make sure that all the trophies go to others- and there were 40+ trophies.
Show turned out great after all, nearly 400 cars plus about a dozen bikes, great weather, street & restaurant food, music etc. Both hot dog vendors ran out of food early, and the barbecued oyster booth was doing pretty well.
And congrats to Anjie with the saweeeet same-family-since-the-'40's '22 roadster with the sweet flattie by Gunar (Chop32)- the "Timeless Traditional" trophy winner- guess who was that judge Did I mention it was saweeeet? Made a little noise, too

 

Things can get quite expensive these days. Forty years ago we could gather at the request of strip mall owners, burger joint owners and car show promotors events with NO FEE's. Last time I sponsored SF in 2007/8 the cost had risen to around 10K for the suede section downstairs.......GREAT SHOW. Unfortunatly two things have happened since the old days....Littigation and persons wanting to make a living promoting shows, rather than the people in the business and wealthy hobbiest promoting the events. I used to attend local speed shop events at Vic Hubbards, Champion Speed Shop and several others. Baggie used to promote the Oakland show but I sure don't recall fees. Roy Brizio has an Open House much like Scott Mumford has at Blue Collar. All of us with shops already have insurance, the place, and a lot of other cost reducing resorces but it still runs in the thousands each event. I'm having a Open House on Sept 10th at my shop. It's free, great band "NITESHADES" good food and really kool people.............But I'm still going to Billetproof reguardless of the cost because Jay and Kirk started a kool show. JMTC

 

Thanks guys, that is a real eye opener, I never thought show overhead was that high.

 

thanks meangene427 for the information, yes now i can remember the cars parked only on one side,and all them local business full with people shopping and eating. WOW THATS CRAZY!!!!!!!!! amazed how much for the cost of permits to put that show on! so i will return next year with my car.

 

And yet cruise nights are usually free, just show up and hang. Get there when you want. Leave when you want. But let me get this straight: I get to pay a fat sum to be told where to park, have to stay in exactly the same spot all day and I'm not allowed to leave until I am told I can. Kinda puts it in perspective for me....

 

Whatever happened to friday night at the A&W? Oh yeah that was in 1958.

 

Okee-Dokey- if you can tell us how to park almost 400 cars on 5 different narrow 1800's downtown streets and small parking lots through one entrance in 3 hours (which we did), plus get the food & beer vendors in and set up through the same streets, but also let everyone pick their own parking spots, let them move their cars around all day, and remove all authority from the PD, FD, Public Works, City Council, etc.,- we have 16 very tired unpaid volunteer parking crew folks who are all ears
Make that 16 folks with very sore ears from listening to the 5% of the attendees who always figure that THEIR car deserves the BEST spot, and will hold up the line for the rest of the mere mortals however long it takes to try to wear down the parking folks until they get their way- of course, the fact that someone else parked there an hour before is totally irrelevant, get those heathens out of there and make room for a NICE car
I had this one down pat- are you with a group, or by yourself? OK, we have a nice parking lot with shade reserved for groups so you can park together. Oh, you don't want to park in a lot.. OK, your choice, but you may get split up, if one street fills and they move to a different street.. Yeah, you don't want to get split up, then I suggest the nice lot with shade.. No, you don't want that- OK, your choice, but choose now, we have 2 blocks of other cars waiting for you.. No, you can't go drive around and try to park next to you buddy who parked 2 hrs ago on a street that's full.. No, we can't move other people who are already parked so you can have their spots.. No, that street is full, you can't park there.. No, you can't park your rig with a trailer behind it in a regular spot..(!) All the while backing up 50 or so other folks behind them.. My favorite was the gal who came in about 10 when things were getting full and wanted to drive around the show and try to find her uncle who had parked early so she could park next to him, and she had forgotten her phone so she couldn't call him, so could she just drive around and look for a while?
I would like to thank some of the clubs & groups that participated, that were quite able to organize themselves and get there and come in the gate together so we could park them together in good spots- Boyz Under The Hood managed to get to me with about 34 in a row and were a breeze, Villianz, Squires, and many other groups of 5-15 that we were able to park together. The Santa Clara Thunderbirds came in with about a dozen gorgeous two-seaters, all together, and parked in formation like a Marine color guard- I mean crisp A few had a buddy that got separated or had to stop and register, and I had a spot for them to pull over and wait for their bud, and were happy to do so. All those folks help you forget the 5%

 

The only way the cost is going to come down is to kold events outside of the city limits of these price gouging city governments. Sounds almost as bad as a show we have here in Florida that the guy putting it on makes all the food and drink vendors buy their cups and supplies from him and does a count after the show to see how much they owe him on top of the price they paid for the spot. Needless to say the show and swap keeps getting smaller every year .Money is not the root of all evil,politics to get it is.