Town’s three-day event featured car show, Artisan’s Faire, 5K, food, fun, and more
The 78th annual Los Alamos Old Days celebration, a three-day event, was held on the weekend of Sept. 27-29, featuring a Classic Car Show, an Artisan’s Faire, the Old Days Stampede 5K Run, dinner and dancing at the Men’sClub, food, music and games for the children, and the Biggest Little Hometown Parade. The theme of this year’s event was “Past Meets Present, A Time To Remember.”
“This event is one the community looks forward to each year,” said Kristy Williams, president of the Los Alamos Men’s Club, in her President’s Message. “It is a time to meet up with and celebrate with our neighbors, see people you haven’t seen in a long time, listen to live music, dance, eat good food, watch a parade, see a car show, buy cool things, and most importantly, to just enjoy ourselves.”
“The Los Alamos Men’s Club sponsors the event and the Old Days committee has worked hard to bring our community an Old Days they will be excited about,” continued Williams. “Without their dedication and volunteerism, there would not be a town celebration.”
The festivities began at the Men’s Club on Friday evening with dinner and dancing to the music of Bitter Road Bank, which kept those who wanted to kick up their heels on the dance floor.
The event opened on Saturday with one side of Bell Street lined with an array of vintage and antique cars. Ninety-five vendors lined the opposite side of the street offering their wares with everything from skincare to hot sauce to cupcakes, with jewelry and art, and homemade crafts by local artisans. Children were treated to an array of fun and games, face painting, and bounce houses in Ferrini Park, and a petting zoo and paintball in the parking lot. There were food trucks and tri-tip sandwiches available for hungry attendees. Of course, what would an old-time Western celebration be without Cow Pie Bingo, which was won by Greg Williams from Bakersfield. James Jepsen of Borrowed Time Entertainment was the DJ, entertaining everyone with his large selection of music.
The winners of the car show are as follows: Best in Show — Mario Angulo’s 1972 Chevrolet K/5 Blazer; Best Hot Rod — Paul Payton’s 1940 Ford Coupe Deluxe; Best Custom — Larry Thompson’s 1972 Chevrolet Blazer; Best Classic Truck — Duane Hammonds’ 1957 Chevrolet 3100 PU Truck; Best Muscle Car — Michael and Diane Stuart’s 1969 Plymouth GTX; Best Rat Rod — Cody Castagna’s 1937 Ford; Best Classic Antique — Robert Mainer’s 1937 Chevrolet Touring Sedan; Best Patina Car or Truck — Chris Cooper’s 1954 Chevrolet 3100; Best Sports Car 2 seater — Jeff Frey’s 1968 Porsche 912; Best Volkswagen — Jamie Verduzco’s 1965 VW Convertible; Best Classic 1930-1940 Roadsters/Coupes — Kenneth Hinge’s 1932 Ford 4-door Sedan; Best Low Rider — Mario Lupercio’s 1965 Chevrolet Impala Convertible and Best Tri Five (all makes) went to Rob Frakes’s 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air.
Photos by Devyn Marseilles.
One of the most unique booths at the Artisan Faire was a remodeled vintage horse trailer called Me & My Flores, a flower bar.
“We found this trailer in Fresno and fixed it up,” said Angie Leon. “I sell flowers every other Saturday at Trilogy Golf Course in Nipomo. This is the first event I’ve signed up for and it’s been amazing. I opened up in May of 2024.”
Another of the booths was La Dolce Vita, which was manned by owner and baker Melissa Bagley, who sold gluten-free baked goods.
“I’m gluten intolerant and I was having a hard time finding breads and other baked goods that tasted delicious and didn’t cause me stomach upset,” Bagley said. “I started hearing the need from more and more people, so I began offering my baked goods to others and it grew from there.”
The scent of lavender from Santa Rita Hills Lavender Farm wafted on the breeze from the array of lavender products that were for sale.
“My mom and I started the farm in 2020 in the Santa Rita Hills area,” said Lucas Neumann. “We opened the farm to the public last year with our first lavender festival which was held on July 13, 2024. We will be holding our next festival on July 12, 2025.”
Gisella Carroll of Peruvian Imports offered a variety of handmade items made from the wool of llamas.
“A friend of mine complimented me on a sweater I was wearing that my mother gave me,” she said. “An idea struck me. I took it off and sold it to her. My mother was a little upset but I told her that we would start a company importing clothing, purses, and handmade goods from Peru. We now support 17 Peruvian women who make what we sell and it also allows me to travel to Peru where I am from.”
Saturday came to a close with everyone packing up for the night anticipating the next day’s events, but the fun continued at the Los Alamos Men’s Club with a Cook Your Own Dinner/Dance with live music by The Fossils who played into the night.
Feature image: The Los Alamos Old Days event was very well-attended.
