The Rod Run is 21 years old and counting. With approximately 1,000 vehicles entered each year, the Rod Run to the End of the World, as Max Morehouse officially named the event, has become one of the greatest car shows in the West. According to former Beach Barons president and retired sheriff Jerry Benning, the event brings in nearly $9 million to the local economy each year.

The Rod Run began in 1984 with 35-40 cars and by the next year had blossomed to 250-300 vehicles. The car show moved several times as it continued to grow, but now has found a home at Wilson Field east of Ocean Park and just south of the end of Bay Avenue.

The show was also moved from the busy Labor Day Weekend to the following one. Show and Shine tops the list of events at the car extravaganza, with the vehicles and the owners as the stars. Kids’ games, door prizes, bubble gum blowing, treasure hunts, hula hoops, and a 1950s costume competition are all part of the Rod Run fun.

A delicious continental breakfast and the Beach Baron’s Seafood Picnic are culinary treats which can be enjoyed while listening to music from the 50s and 60s (is there any other kind of music?). All proceeds from the event go to the Beach Barons and they use the money to donate to local charities and to maintain the facility.

Sunday 135 winners are announced and trophies donated by many area businesses are presented. The Beach Barons, which began in 1957 and was revitalized in the mid-80s, has about 175 regular members and many more associate members who live away from Pacific County.

“One of the requirements of being a member is helping to make the Rod Run a success each year,” Benning explains. “We couldn’t do a quality car show without a whole lot of people working together. The women are great helpers, too, and when the husband joins the wife is automatically a member.” With cooking, painting, field maintenance, and planning always in the works, Wilson Field becomes a bee hive of activity every summer in preparation for the car show.

The Rod Run has had up to 1,600 entrants in the past, but the Beach Barons decided to set a limit on attendance to make sure the quality of the show was kept at a high level and that the grounds and surrounding area were kept manageable.

One key component of the manageability of the giant show is that alcohol is prohibited on the grounds. Organization and paying attention to detail is another key to the Rod Run’s success. Parking areas at U and Z streets in Ocean Park are available.

“The Chamber of Commerce came to the Beach Barons and asked if we could have a car show to help spur the economy,” Benning says. “It is likely they had no idea how the show would grow.”

For more information call the Beach Barons at 360-665-3565, the Long Beach Visitor’s Center at 800-451-2542, or the Ocean Park Area Chamber of Commerce at 888-751-9354.

Thanks to the work of Larry Canonica the Rod Run is also on the world wide web super highway at www.beachbarons.com. and a program is also available at many local merchants for $1. The program contains interesting stories of past rod runs, a list and pictures of last year’s winners, and statistics. Did you know that the most common cars at the 2003 show were Chevelle’s, Camaro’s, and Mustang’s. There were 73 cars from 1967 and 70 from 1969 and the oldest car was a 1920.

This year’s Beach Barons officers are Gary Wirkkala, Mike Gramps, President Dan Gove, Ross and Marsha Glasson, Sandy Welsh, Thelma Sembach, and Karen Gove and Dick Perry is the show president.