Southern California is home to lots of car shows, but few are as exciting as the one taking place in Long Beach’s Belmont Shore neighborhood. The 19th-annual event will include approximately 700 pre-1975 vehicles displayed on trendy Second Street. Other shows have rigid themes and regulations, but the Belmont Shore gathering offers visitors a wide variety of rides, ranging from slick Cadillacs, hot rods, rat rods, muscle cars and European sports cars to classic low-rider Impalas, historic firetrucks, daddy’s fun-fun-fun T-Bird and local cancer fund-raiser Team Spirit’s soon-to-be-demolished Lincoln Continental. If the thought of a bunch of parked cars doesn’t sound like a good time, the show draws nearly 50,000 people each year, many of whom are as eye-catching as the vehicles themselves. Proceeds go to area charities and admission is free, so there isn’t really a good excuse to miss it.
Sun., Sept. 7, 9 a.m., 2008
