Classic car show brings thousands to the Long Beach Peninsula
Published 5:00 am Monday, September 14, 2026
Nikkie Cook said their family drove down from Vancouver, Wash. to the Long Beach Peninsula because of “my kids’ and their passion for cars.”
The 42nd annual Rod Run to the End of the World took place on the 27-acre stretch of land owned by the event’s host — the Beach Barons Car Club — in Ocean Park Sept. 11, 12 and 13. Vice president Doug Haserot said they counted about 800 participants and about 4,500 attendees mid-day on Saturday, the biggest day of the three-day event.
Two young boys, 5-year-old Hudson Cook and 10-year-old Tucker Cook excitedly led their parents Nikkie Cook and Guy Cook around taking photos of the shiny cars.
“He wants to be a car photographer when he grows up,” said Nikkie pointing to her son with a professional-looking camera hanging with a decorative strap from his neck. His younger brother Hudson was putting in the work capturing creative angles of the shiny cars on display crouched down with a smart phone almost as big as his face diligently snapping photos.
“We love car shows,” said father Guy. “We have a 1997 Jeep Cherokee but it wasn’t ready to make the trip.”
The young photographers were admiring an American Motors Corporation blue Gremlin, a quirky subcompact car circa 1970 to 1978 embellished, like many cars that day sporting decorations, fittingly Spike the Gremlin toys.
The family joined thousands of onlookers strolling past hundreds of cars poised and polished on the grassy field who peered into the cars’ interiors with fascination, many with hands pinned behind their backs signaling their observance of the ‘don’t touch’ signs on most of the cars out that day on Sandridge Road.
At Gate One around the corner, Astoria radio-station Classic Hits 94.3FM KRKZ’s John Paul and Noah “Pork Chop” Homsley were playing classic rock at a booth and commenting on the cars, crowds and events throughout the day.
Haserot said the crowds were there for Saturday’s popular events which included a chance to vote for a favorite car, participate in a raffle and more. “Really today it’s just looking at the cars, doing the raffle, voting and eating,” said Haserot. “We also had a continental breakfast and over in registration t-shirts for sale. Spectators are given a card so they can individually vote if they want to so they can walk around these cars and figure out which one they want.”