EVEN THOUGH WE’RE CALLED THE VINTAGE CAR CLUB, ANYONE WHO WANTS TO PARTICIPATE IN THE 4TH OF JULY CAR SHOW OR THE CRUISE NIGHTS IS WELCOME
ABOVE: Joe Valdes, former mayor of Santa Fe from 1972-76, now a Santa Fe Living Treasure in his 80s.
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uddy Roybal is the chairman of the 4th of July car show, and has been involved for 12 years. The 4th of July car show is put on by the Santa Fe Vintage Car Club, and Pancakes on the Plaza is put on by the Rotary Club. Roybal is part of the Rotary Club and the car club, so he has his feet in both of the simultaneous events. The native Santa Fean is owner of Coronado Paint and Decorating, and has been in business for over 30 years. He’s proud to give back to his community through myriad events, most notably the 4th of July car show, as well as Cruise Nights on the Plaza. “On the 4 of July, there’s a lot going on—the Bandstand, breakfast. It’s quite a nice event we’re proud to be a part of, watching the community come down to the plaza and enjoy the cars,” Roybal says. “It’s an important fundraiser; the Rotary Club gives a lot of money back to nonprofits in the community.” Though both the car show and the cruise nights are free and open to the public, folks wanting to showcase their cars are charged an entry fee, which is then donated to Shop with a Cop or the Boys and Girls Club. th
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Cars Over Breakfast —TO—
Cruises at Night Photos Warren Berg
Three things that don’t normally fit in the same sentence: cars, breakfast, 4th of July. For a local, the association is automatic: Pancakes on the Plaza. Now in its 41st year, the annual event draws tens of thousands to the plaza each July 4th for breakfast, a car show, music and art.
As for the types of cars on display, the Vintage Car Club doesn’t discriminate. “We might have cars from the turn-of-the-century to brand new 2016 models. Even though we’re called the Vintage Car Club, anyone who wants to participate in the 4th of July car show or the cruise nights is welcome. We’ve had some very unique cars from 1909 to Ferraris, 57’ Mustangs, Chevys and Corvettes. It’s quite an array,” Roybal notes. The number of automotive participants in the 4th of July car show can vary from 100 to 150. Roybal describes how, starting at 5 a.m. the featured cars start lining up along Lincoln Avenue from Palace Avenue to the end of Federal Place. “We have to have the cars parked by 7 a.m. because the pedestrian traffic grows so heavy,” says Roybal. “It’s an orchestration; it’s a lot of fun but a lot of
work. It’s kind of like auto-pilot for us though because we’ve been putting it on for so long.” For car-lovers looking for something more low-key, the 2016 Cruise Nights on the Plaza takes place four times throughout the summer and includes food and music. Sponsored by both the Vintage Car Club and the Santa Fe Police Department, the events take place on May 15th from 12 to 4 p.m., June 17th from 5 to 9 p.m., July 15th from 5 to 9 p.m., or August 12th from 5 to 9 p.m. “It’s about the beauty of the community coming together. The biggest thing is giving back,” Roybal reflects. “As a local and as a businessman, I feel it’s very important.”