Car Show Theme: Just Add Water

What do you get when you combine a car show, swap meet, rock concert and kiddie carnival? A family-oriented event that has something for everyone.

That’s what organizers had in mind when they put together “Water and Wheels,” a weekend show celebrating sun, surf, hot cars and cool music--hallmarks of the Southern California mystique.

“We’ve done individual car shows, swap meets and music shows in the past, so we thought it would be fun to combine all three,” said Kevin Wachs, president of Half Magic Productions, the show’s promoter.

The two-day event, which ended Sunday, was held at the former Devonshire Downs site at Cal State Northridge. A campus parking lot was transformed into a showroom, concert venue and carnival midway as visitors checked out vintage vehicles, watercraft and games of skill.

Classic car buffs walked among two-toned convertibles, gleaming ‘vettes and “woody” station wagons. Sport utility vehicle enthusiasts admired a Marmon-Herrington 1946 Mercury 4x4.

Lovers of water sports perused speedboats, personal watercraft and surfing gear. Tanning booths, hot tubs and beachwear grabbed the attention of sun worshipers. Numerous youth sports groups, social-service agencies, churches and schools sponsored carnival games and food booths to raise money for their programs.

As Pacific, a Beach Boys-style rock band, cranked out surfer tunes, Albert and Suzanne Baldinelli watched their 7-year-old daughter disembark from a kiddie train. “The mixture of things brought us out today,” Albert Baldinelli said. “There are booths and activities for the kids. It’s not just a car show.”