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One of the most popular events in South Pasadena, organizers are preparing to present the 15th annual South Pasadena Tournament of Roses Cruz’n For Roses Car Hot Rod & Classic Car Show on Sunday, September 15, along Mission Street in the city.
Exhibitors from all over Southern California will set up along the closed portion of the roadway, between Meridian and Fair Oaks avenues, joining hundreds of shiny vintage cars and trucks on display.
“We’re in full swing getting ready for a great show,” said Janet Benjamin, a member of the SPTOR committee and organizer for the car show. “Traditionally, it’s one of the best shows around. Car owners love us because of the tree-lined street and our small town character.”
Benjamin says a VIP section, which includes a prime location for participants to park their cars, a T-shirt, VIP Badge, coffee and donuts, lunch, and a golf cart tour of the show, is nearly full.
“But the nicest thing is they don’t have to be here at 7:30 in the morning on the day of the event,” noted Benjamin. “They have a reserved spot. They can show up at 9 or 9:30 a.m. and get directed right into their spot.”
Other car owners are expected to arrive at 7:30 a.m. for the show scheduled from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Proceeds from entry fees ($30 before the event, $40 on the day of event or $70 for the VIP section) will support funding the South Pasadena Tournament of Roses float that will roll down Colorado Boulevard on New Year’s Day. Volunteer float builders say the cost to build the float is roughly $100,000.
Benjamin is looking for volunteers on the day of the show to work anywhere from 5:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Members of the South Pasadena Tournament of Roses Committee, along with friends, have actively been dropping off flyers about the Cruz’n for Roses Show at other car events in the region to entice owners to be a part of the South Pasadena event.
The website is up and running where individuals can register online. Preregistration deadline is September 6.
A streamed-down open house for the South Pasadena police and fire departments will also be held in conjunction with the Cruz’n for Roses Hot Rod & Classic Car Show.
“We’re still holding it,” explained South Pasadena Police Chief Joe Ortiz about the event, “but we’ve scaled it back a little bit because of staffing.”
All the action will take place on Mission Street, as no activities will be held in the back lots of both the local police and fire departments like in the past.
“We’re going to have booths set up from the Public Safety Commission, the police department, CERT (Community Emergency Response Team), and other first responder organizations that will set up along Mission Street along,” explained Ortiz. “We’ll also do some demonstrations there.”
The car show opening, which traditionally includes a color guard presentation from the police in front of a giant stage on Mission Street, will go unchanged. The Pledge of Allegiance and singing of the National Anthem will also remain the same.
Ortiz said his department spent about $10,000 on overtime and other associated costs to host last year’s event. “We’re trying to minimize the soft costs and be a little more financially responsible in our spending, and so we’ll cut back a little bit,” he said.
Tours of the police and fire departments are a thing of the past. “We’re just going to scale down our participation and involvement,” Ortiz emphasized.
For more information about entering cars and volunteer opportunities, contact Benjamin at Shaw, Moses, Mendenhall & Associates, 625 Fair Oaks Avenue, Suite 158, in South Pasadena, by calling (626) 799-7813.
For more information about the police and fire department open house, call Officer Richard Lee at (626) 403-7297
