An estimated 25,000 to 35,000 spectators expected to stroll through downtown Clovis on Saturday for the annual Old Town Motorama, a classic car show that has grown into a regional draw over the years.

The event, organized by the Hot Rod Coalition, stretches across downtown Clovis with room for up to 700 vehicles — marking what could be the largest turnout yet.

“In years past, we’ve been just north of 600 cars. We have an extra block of the street closers, so we’re all the way to 9th now. So we have room for 700. We are pretty darn full,” said Anthony “TJ” Granata, who founded the Hot Rod Coalition in 2010. “We estimate around 25 to 35,000 people will walk through here today.”

Granata started the coalition after drafting a business plan for a truck show while attending Fresno State.

“I wrote a business plan at Fresno State. I was taking like a major event certificate class and it was for a truck show,” Granata said. “Then after I kind of got out of the truck scene I decided let’s try to do this Hot Rod Show.”

The idea quickly gained traction. “We teamed up with Granville Homes and their marketing department. We did a drive-in movie and car show at Park Place on Palm and Nees. We had like over 300 cars show up at the very first one. That’s when we quickly realized, I think we have something here,” he said.

(Disclosure: Granville Homes CEO Darius Assemi is the publisher of GV Wire.)

From Class Project to Car Show Empire

What began as a grassroots idea has evolved into a series of popular events across the Valley. In addition to the Old Town Motorama, the coalition also organizes events in Fresno’s Tower District, Palm and Nees, and the Valley Nationals at the Madera Fairgrounds.

But the Clovis event remains the crown jewel.

“Old Town Clovis is a really comfortable place where people like to spend their time,” Granata said. “This is where we see the biggest spectator crowds.”

Beyond the spectacle of gleaming chrome and vintage horsepower, Granata says the event’s deeper impact lies in its community roots.

“You know, it feels good. It doesn’t sink in very much. I think the whole reason we do this is for the people anyways,” he said. “Over the last 15 years we’ve created this community that is now growing and if you look around it’s getting a lot younger.”

Despite earlier doubts about the longevity of the pre-1975 car culture, Granata says interest from younger generations is driving the scene forward.

“A lot of people thought that would kind of die off with boomers and it’s not,” he said. “We’re really capturing those 30, 40, 50 year olds now who are getting interested in the classic car market … They come as spectators and now they’re starting to become participants.”

Valley’s Elite Car Builders Take the Spotlight in Clovis

One standout feature of this year’s event is the “Builder’s Block,” a section Granata describes as a rare public glimpse into the high-end world of Valley car craftsmanship.

“We’re sitting in something called the Builder’s Block, a local trade show where a lot of these guys, these blue collar builders, are in their shops seven days a week,” he said. “We’re really lucky that they find the Old Town Motorama desirable enough.”

Granata said these builders are crafting cars worth anywhere from $250,000 to over a million dollars — right here in the Central Valley.

The event also includes a top-75 awards ceremony, handcrafted trophies made by a Sanger metalsmith, and “Top 5” jackets for standout entries.

O’Reilly Auto Parts sponsors a raffle with tools and merchandise giveaways throughout the day, and motorcycle builder Jim Ogawa leads an exclusive invite-only bike show at a nearby intersection.

The Old Town Motorama continues through the weekend with a “Car & Shop Tour” on Sunday.

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