It appears Route 66 Rendezvous substitute will stay in Ontario

After the 2013 Route 66 Rendezvous in San Bernardino, Calif., was suspended due to the city’s bankruptcy, many Rendezvous organizers set up shop in nearby Ontario, Calif., with a new Route 66 Cruisin’ Reunion car show.

If there was any doubts whether a doppelgänger classic-car show would be a success elsewhere in the Los Angeles region, they were dispelled this past weekend. According to the San Bernardino County Sun:

“As of now, we estimate over 120,000 people attended and nearly 800 classic cars were on display,” said Michael Krouse, president of Ontario’s Cruisin’ Reunion committee. “This event has been not only economically successful for the community but has taken an event and brought people together to our community from all over.” […]

Ontario police said Sunday afternoon they had made no arrests during the three-day event and there were no significant problems.

For perspective, the Route 66 Rendezvous often drew 1,800 registered cars and more than a half-million spectators on a typical September weekend. The Cruisin’ Reunion has a long way to go to match such numbers, but performed well for a first-year event.

One attendee noted San Bernardino counted 50 homicides last year and Ontario just five. Even if you factor in that Ontario has 50,000 fewer people than San Bernardino, that obvious disparity in violent crime proved attractive to the attendee and others.

San Bernardino hosted a competing Rendezvous Back to Route 66 event in San Manuel Stadium the same weekend. No final numbers were reported there. But the Press-Enterprise two weeks ago reported that 300 cars had been signed up for the San Bern event. So it’s apparent Ontario won the battle of the car shows.

Based on the comments on the Route 66 Rendezvous’ Facebook page, a strong sentiment still exists to restore the car show and return to San Bernardino. Perhaps, after regrouping, primary Rendezvous sponsor Stater Brothers and a slew of other sponsors will bring it back.

However, it also seems clear Ontario now wants to host a car show every year. Organizers this year obviously used the “Route 66” name for branding purposes to draw Rendezvous attendees. But until Ontario makes the cruising route touch the real Route 66 in some way, it shouldn’t use the Route 66 name. I’m no purist, but tacking on the Route 66 tag seems disingenuous, especially when Ontario never was on 66.

(Image from the 2011 Route 66 Rendezvous in San Bernardino by Doug Carlson via Flickr)

3 thoughts on “It appears Route 66 Rendezvous substitute will stay in Ontario

  1. The first night festivities and the round-the-block car cruise was a lot of fun, though Route 66 seemed to be little on the minds of most visitors and participants.

  2. my daughter and i went to ontario this past saturday to see the car show; it did not compare to to the real Route 66 in San Bernardino,prior to relocating Never go to ontario again.

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