Carcadia at Route 66
Scenes From the July Cars and Coffee in Arcadia
Automotive aficionados have been getting together to admire each other’s cars since horseless carriages roamed the streets of America. This social activity received a big boost when hot rods, custom cars and car clubs gained popularity in the 1950s.
By Roy Nakano
Thu, Aug 15, 2024 03:13 AM PST
Images courtesy the Carcadia organizers.
“Cars and Coffee” is the term ascribed to the early morning informal gatherings that have become popular in more recent years. In the car culture-rich Southern California community of San Gabriel Valley, the go-to gathering is in Arcadia and is appropriately called “Carcadia”. The brainchild of Carcadia is LACar’s very own Glenn Oyoung. Glenn explains how Carcadia was born:
“As a relatively new transplant to Arcadia back in 2013, I was surprised by the number of great cars from classic muscle cars to modern exotics that I would see on a daily basis either on the street or tucked away in garages.” After Glenn approached the Arcadia Chamber of Commerce, got the backing of Arcadia’s Best, and permission from the city and Denny’s to use their lot, Carcadia at Route 66 was born.
In 2017, following four years of steady growth, Carcadia moved to its current location at the Arcadia Hub Shopping Center on the corner of Baldwin Avenue and Naomi Avenue.
“Some of the more unique cars we’ve had at Carcadia include the Arcadia Police Department’s 1959 Ford Galaxie, a 1957 Mercedes Gullwing, a 1970 Plymouth Superbird, a BAC Mono, and a Ferrari 458 Speciale Aperta,” says Glenn. “The most common question we’re asked about Carcadia is ‘I have (fill in the blank), can I bring it?’ The answer is YES. Anything with wheels is welcome. In the last two years we’ve had hot rods, muscle cars, imports, exotics, motorcycles, and even bicycles on display.”
Glenn admits, “While I truly love the cars we get at Carcadia, what I really enjoy is watching gear heads from totally different backgrounds mixing it up. Attendees have shared with me that’s what makes Carcadia one of their favorite gatherings too. Some regularly come from as far as Diamond Bar and Huntington Beach to meet new people and see new cars.”
Carcadia at Route 66 is held the last Sunday of every month, from 7am to 9:00am at the Arcadia Hub Shopping Center, 733 West Naomi Avenue, Arcadia, CA. And the price? It’s free to attend or exhibit. For more information, go to the Carcadia Facebook page.
About The Author
Roy Nakano gave birth to LACar in the late '90s, having previously delivered LA Audio File back in the '80s. Aside from the occasional review, Roy likes to stray off the beaten automotive path: "Six Degrees of Reparations" reflected on the regretful ethical paths taken by car companies throughout history. "Traveling Through the Past and Present of the Green Book" looked at businesses that took a stand against racism and the man that wrote the book on where to find them. "Best Cars to Drive in Rush Hour Traffic" was an LACar guide published in the pre-GPS era. "In Search of the First Datsun 510 Tuner" looked at one of the milestones in the origin of import tuners.
