“Where the Hell is Groveland?” Car Show Story and photos by Kathryn Sibley and Thomas Buckle
Locals and tourists alike attended the 8th annual “Where The Hell Is Groveland” Car Show this last Sunday, June 7th. Also known as Groveland’s annual “Party in the Park”, the show was held in Mary Laveroni Park in downtown Groveland. The show boasted a colorful array of about 100 cars, ranging from antiques to the very latest sports cars. The owners had obviously spent many hours cleaning and shining them after the rains. The static display included custom rebuilds, complete restorations, while others were a bit of both. A handful of cars were for sale, price negotiable. The cars and their owners came from as far away as the Bay Area and Sacramento. A great number of the entries came from as near as Greeley Hill, and even Groveland itself. Some of the most notable cars were: A fully restored 1957 pink Ford Thunderbird. It was found as a ruined, rusted wreck in a barn. A one-of-a kind entry was a blue 1950 Studebaker, known as a “space-car” when it was introduced, mainly because it had the same physical profile going-or-coming. An original, yet restored, Shelby Cobra circa 1968, with all of the required documentation was on display, and was probably the high-dollar car at the show.
There were several 1930’s Ford coupes sporting suicide doors and a couple of 1923 Ford “T-Bucket” Roadsters. A heavily customized 1951 Mercury featured a chopped-top, custom taillights, frenched headlights, and even tiny electric windows. To top off this voyeurs delight, there was a 1928 Packard Touring Car, which was covered with plaques and trophies from all over the United States.
The event was so well attended that parking was create-a-space for the spectators. Double Trouble DJ & Karaoke supplied the rockin’ 50’s music, and the crowds could be heard singing along with the songs. Hot dogs and hamburgers were available for lunch, along with beer and cold drinks. Cool, one-of-a-kind black t-shirts were sold to commemorate the car show. There were also several raffles: a 50/50, a General, and even an Engine raffle for a muscle car V-8. A fun time was had by all, especially car buffs.
For those of you who don’t know, Groveland is up Highway 120 on the way to Yosemite National Park. Stop by sometime and see all that Groveland has to offer!
