The next car show in the area is the 30th annual Imperial Owners Statewide Meet & Show in Clovis, April 20.

Last Saturday, several blocks in the Tower District were completely closed off so that hundreds, if not thousands of guests, could crowd around the assortment of cars lined up at the Tower Classic Car Show (TCCS), April 13. There was live music and plenty of food for the crowd to enjoy while they observed the array of classic cars.

Noted as the largest car show in the Central Valley, this event takes place annually in the Tower District on Olive Avenue, between Palm and Van Ness.

This year marked the 13th annual TCCS, and took place on April 13, from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. The event began in 1999 by several friends who wanted to get together and show off their hot rods.

This tradition has grown over the years, from just eight cars to 400 cars. In addition to running the car show, the Tower Classic also raises money for charity. One year, they were able to raise $4000 for the Valley Center for the Blind.

At the show, there were people from all walks of life, young and old, enjoying the classic cars. Cars lined up in rows on both sides of the street, each accompanied by its proud owner. One of these men was James Wassen, owner of a 40s Buick.

“I have been a participant at the show for several years now and was happy return again,” Wassen said. “I’ve been here for five years now; my first year was with a Woodie station wagon.”

Though Wassen had been at the show before with other cars, he recently purchased a new car on a whim while traveling through San Luis Obispo.

“I’ve owned this car since Tuesday of last week,” Wassen said. “I bought it when I was in a court in San Luis Obispo. I passed by a garage that had antique cars for sale, bought it and drove it home.”

When asked about the crowds of people in attendance, Wassen believed that it was more of a philosophical reason that draws much of the crowd.

“I think that this is predominately a fifties crowd,” Wassen said. “If you look around, everyone here is old, so by doing this they are recapturing part of their youth.”

Wasson explained why this event is very appealing to people who grew up in the 50’s and 60’s, in the way that it recaptures the way of life during the earlier years.

“It is a way of recapturing that early part of peoples’ lives, when everything seemed possible; life had infinite possibilities, you know before you became old and jaded and realized that you where never going to be president of the United States.”

This writer can be reached via Twitter: @McKayMohun. Follow The Feather via Twitter: @thefeather.

For more information about the Tower Classic Car show, visit CartHop or Dusty Buns.

For more opinions, read the April 17 article, Column: Parent recounts Boston tragedy.