Cruise Nite season sunsets
Friday, annual SP Airport br>Flea Market Sunday
October 02, 2015
By Peggy Kelly
Santa Paula News
Friday’s Cruise Nite will be the last of the 17th season for Ventura County’s most famous car show held in Downtown Santa Paula, a celebration that will feature Johnny & The Love Handles and plenty of fun.
Sunday will be the monthly First Sunday at the Airport Open House featuring the special annual Swap Meet and Flea Market!
Hundreds of pre-1975 classic and vintage vehicles will roar into town Friday for Cruise Nite, the last show of 2015; the 18th season Cruise Nite, sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce and the Santa Paula Police Officers Association, will return in April and run on the first Friday of each month through October.
It will be a poignant Cruise Nite according to Santa Paula Police Commander Ish Cordero following the unexpected death in September of artist Wendell Dowling, who each month created a special Cruise Nite T-shirt featuring a show vehicle.
As a tribute to Dowling, who created the highly collectible Cruise Nite T-shirts for about 15 years, Cordero said Friday’s shirt will feature Dowling’s own classic car, a Dodge Valiant station wagon.
“It’s been a Cruise Nite shirt design before and it’s extra special because Wendell included himself behind the wheel of the Valiant,” said Cordero. “We wanted to use it because it really is a tribute to his talent as well as his own interest in making Cruise Nite a truly unique event.”
Extra shirts, said Cordero, were ordered for Friday’s Cruise Nite.
Johnny & The Love Handles — featuring Mayor John Procter — will take to the outdoor South Paseo Plaza to play classic rock ’n’ roll starting about 5:30 p.m.
Cruise Nite runs from 5 p.m. to dusk.
Cruise Nite is held on East Main Street between 7th and 10th streets; so popular is the monthly display that more pre-1975 cars also spill onto various adjacent side streets where they are enjoyed by visitors.
Cruise Nite offers a free night out on the town with great music, unique shopping and plenty of fine dining with many restaurants offering Cruise Nite specials.
And even some lifesaving tips: Santa Paula Firefighters are out at each Cruise Nite teaching Sidewalk CPR, also known as Hands-Only CPR. The instruction — available to men, women and children — takes only about 2-minutes and could mean the difference of life or death.
Those completing the Hands-Only CPR training can even be entered in a drawing for a La Cabana Restaurant gift certificate.
Another free, family fun event is the First Sunday at the Santa Paula Airport that promises a day not only filled with airplanes and unique collections but the annual Swap Meet and Flea Market...there might even be a rare Flea aircraft on display!
The world famous Santa Paula Airport opened in August 1930 with a dedication celebration that included air races, aerobatics and parachuting, a visit from the Goodyear Blimp, and many famous aviators of the time. Now the airport is also home to the Aviation Museum of Santa Paula.
The original Aviation Museum of Santa Paula (AMSP) opened in February 2000 with The Chain of Hangars offering numerous exhibits as well as a detailed history of the airport’s creation, the latter now in its own museum building located at the airport’s entrance.
The museum features a full history of the beginnings of the famed airport through displays, authentic gear and uniforms, videotape of the grand opening, flight logs and other memorabilia that shows why it is a world famous destination of pilots including numerous celebrities.
And don’t miss a chance to purchase the just published history of the airport celebrating its 85th year; copies of Aviation in Santa Paula 1930-2015 will be on sale in the gift shop. Those who purchase the book ($43 including tax) will be able to get their copies signed by the writers and photographers at a special event to be held at the museum October 17 from 3 to 6 p.m.
The Museum’s Gift Shop located in the museum also sells T-shirts, hats, aviation related items; all proceeds go to the Museum.
The Chain of Hangars that feature fascinating aircraft and collections will also be open for tours Sunday (10 a.m. to 2 p.m.) and the Tram is also available for transport.
For kids age 8 – 17, the Young Eagles EAA Chapter 723 program offers free plane rides through the generosity of volunteers who want to interest youngsters in flight; for more information and to schedule a reservation contact Neil Fowler at (805) 647-6994.
Widely recognized around the world for its antique, classic and experimental aircraft as well as celebrated for its climate and its friendliness, the airport is located at 800 Santa Maria St.
Rain cancels the event.
For more information call (805) 525-1109 or visit www.aviationmusemofsantapaula.org.
