The Coolest Show on Earth
Half Moon Bay, California’s Awe-Inspiring Festival of Magnificent Machines
There are car shows, airshows, motorcycle shows, tractor shows, county fairs, music festivals, food festivals and living history festivals galore. Mix them all together in one venue on one weekend and you’ve got Half Moon Bay’s beloved, one and only Pacific Coast Dream Machines Show, coming up April 27-28, running both days from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Half Moon Bay Airport. An added bonus this year: with the opening of the brand new Devil’s Slide Tunnels on Highway 1, driving to the show will be easier and more interesting than ever!
Whimsical, fascinating, amusing, educational, curious, and utterly unique are a few words that folks use to describe this massive annual celebration of mechanical ingenuity, power and style known as “The Coolest Show on Earth.” It’s a remarkable show-and-tell spectacle, an outdoor museum-for-a-weekend, featuring 2,000 magnificent driving, flying and working machines from the 20th and 21st centuries. In short, a feast for the senses for motorheads!
World-class cars of every era and style, Model T fire engines, vintage buses, custom motorcycles, tricked-out trucks, supersonic World Land Speed Record streamliners, state-of-the-art SWAT vehicles, one-of-a-kind antique engines and tractors and historic military aircraft will be among the mesmerizing displays.
Proud owners show off cars in all shapes, colors and sizes. Spectators will get a rare up-close look at antique horseless carriages and Ford Model T’s, fanciful touring and luxury cars, powerful sports cars, custom cars and street rods, muscle cars, vintage and modern-era high-performance race cars, quirky art and pedal cars, modified street machines with cutting edge styles, exotic high-performance cars, stylish European cars, ultra cool low-riders, sporty compacts, modified imports with flashy graphics, fashionable hip-hop urban show cars, homebuilt kit cars, super-charged turbo cars and trucks, “green” technology vehicles, streamliners, dragsters, funny cars, gassers, and jet cars.
Hundreds of aviation wonders are expected to be on display – stylish homebuilts, classics from the ‘40s and ‘50s, vintage warbirds, sport and ultralight aircraft. Highlights include jaw-dropping, shock and awe flyovers by historic military aircraft; the massive Douglas DC-4, a World War II humanitarian aircraft now used for U.S. government disaster relief missions, which will do a special take-off and landing at 3 p.m. both days; “Mustang Madness,” a spectacular display of America’s premier World War II fighter; the Estrella Warbird Museum’s historic Douglas C-47 (regarded as the World’s Greatest Aircraft of its time), YAK Russian fighters and an impressive array of T-6 and T-28 military fighters and trainers. Thrilling rides will be offered in helicopters, vintage bi-planes, along with Beech 18 and T-6 military trainers.
The Military Vehicle Technology Foundation (MVTF) brings a piece of “living history” to this year’s show. The MVTF will have a large display of rare military vehicles, including two Joint Light Tactical Combat Vehicles making their first public appearance, and also plan to conduct blank firings of their vehicle mounted machine guns. MVTF tour guides, dressed in military garb, will be on hand to talk about their historic machinery providing excellent photo opportunities. The MVTF in association with the West Coast Armor Association also plan to perform mock battle re-enactments during the show titled “Rescue of a Downed Pilot.” These staged battles will be performed by professional re-enactors trained in “presentation stunt combat” regularly used in television and movies.
The attractions for kids are amazing and endless: a super-cool new zip line, a bungee jump, a mechanical bull ride, a climbing wall, carnival rides, walk-on-waterballs, henna tattoos, face painting, and a remote-controlled NASCAR race track. There will be plenty of festive food and delicious drink with the special Motorhead Ale from Half Moon Bay Brewing Company, Sauza margaritas and Barefoot Wine & Bubbly.
The sensational lineup of music includes Bill Kirchen, The Inciters, Big Cat Tolefree & His Hipnotic Band, Pel & The Pelicans, plus Robert Powell, Charlie Powell & Grant Walters performing throughout the weekend. Plus, there’s enchanting storytelling by the Gypsy Time Travelers backdropped by their quirky traveling rig, Florence
This year’s Pilots Association Saturday Night Hangar Dinner (April 27) will feature a special tribute to Ray Martini, a decorated World War II veteran and treasured Coastsider. The dinner is at Eddie Andreini’s hangar at the airport. Tickets are $30 per person, available at the door. Parking is on the airport field; enter off Capistrano Road.
Spectator admission to the show is $20 ($30 for 2-day pass) for adults, $10 ($15 for 2-day pass) for ages 11-17 and 65-plus, and free for kids age 10 and under. Tickets are available at the gate only. Half Moon Bay Airport, at 9850 N. Cabrillo Highway, is located on Highway 1, about 20 miles south of San Francisco and five miles north of Highway 92. For information, call 650-726-2328 or visit www.miramarevents.com
Headline attractions scheduled to appear include:
• Jaw-dropping, shock and awe flyovers by historic military aircraft throughout the event.
• Riveting military vehicle blank gun firings and mock battle re-enactments by the West Coast Armor Association.
• Super sleek speed machines in “World Record Wonderland” including legendary builder Jack Costella’s Nebulous Theorem streamliners that have set more than 100 land speed records.
• Spine-tingling take-off and landing by the massive, Douglas DC-4 at 3 pm both days.
• A special display of nostalgia dragsters to honor the former Half Moon Bay Drag Strip.
• Magnificent military aircraft including the Estrella Warbird Museum’s Douglas C-47 (regarded as the World’s Greatest Aircraft of its time), YAK Russian fighters and an impressive array of T-6 and T-28 military fighters and trainers.
• World land speed record holders, the “Ack Attack” motorcycle streamliner, Lightning Motorcycles solar-powered SB2 Super Bike, and the world’s second fastest “Dirtboat” landsailer.
• “Mustang Madness,” a spectacular display of America’s Premier World War II Fighter.
• The one-of-a-kind Blastolene Brothers extreme, mega-modified machines.
• Aerobatics great Eddie Andreini doing fly-overs in his bi-plane, YAK Russian fighter and P-51.
• “El Diablo,” an astonishing jet-powered flame-effects device designed for “Burning Man.”
• Ultra thrilling rides in helicopters, bi-planes, Beech 18 and T-6 military trainers.
• Rare, meticulously restored vehicles from the Military Vehicle Technology Foundation including two Joint Light Tactical Combat Vehicles making their first public appearance.
•1 904 Holsman Hi-Wheeler, antique automobile part of Coastsider’s family tree.
• Refurbished fly-wheel engines from the Early Days Gas Engine & Tractor Association.
• Roots of Motive Power’s collection of restored logging equipment.
• Zip-line, bungee jump, mechanical bull, remote-controlled NASCAR racing, kid’s amusements.
• Fabulous food and drink with Half Moon Bay Brewing Company’s special Motor Head Ale.
• Live music with headliners Bill Kirchen, The Inciters, Big Cat Tolefree & His Hipnotic Band, Pel & The Pelicans, plus Robert Powell, Charlie Powell & Grant Walters.
• Enchanting storytelling by the Gypsy Time Travelers and their quirky traveling rig, Florence
• Pilots Association Saturday Night Hangar Dinner (April 27) at Eddie Andreini’s Hangar. Featuring a special tribute to Ray Martini, Decorated World War II veteran and Treasured Coastsider. Tickets are $30 per person, available at the door. Parking is on the airport field; enter off Capistrano Road.
