The annual Burbank Road Kings Charity Car Show at Jonny Carson Park was a huge success, bringing hundreds out to enjoy the day of classic cars, trucks, and motorcycles. The event took place on Sunday, June 11th, with the sun tucked behind the clouds making it a nice, cool day to be outside.
Last year the club celebrated its 70th anniversary, which has a long history of racing and promoting automotive interests. The club supports the Burbank community by hosting events and car shows to give back to charitable organizations. In October, the club will determine where to allocate this year’s car show funds to.
Over 250 cars entered the show and lined up along the grass of the park, spilling over to the upper side of the park across the bridge. The 1949 vintage Ford Burbank Police cruiser was out on display as well as the Burbank Fire Department’s 1913 Moreland and 1967 Crown. The show was sponsored by Galpin Ford, Community Chevrolet, and others.
Along the dirt path of the car show, nicknamed “vendor’s row,” were tents selling clothes and collectibles and showcasing local businesses. Families and kids came out to the event to stroll through the cars and vendors, including a few unexpected guests, including Star Wars Stormtroopers and Jedi cosplayers, and a couple of Marvel superheroes too.
Jay Leno also popped by to enjoy the event and bring his Mercedes pit to the car show in support of the Burbank Road Kings. Also in attendance was Cleo Shelby, who sat for an interview with the show’s announcer, Bob Beck, on the stage. Awards were also given out at the stage to the “Top 25” vehicles, along with some other trophies.
myBurbank had a booth and recorded a podcast during the day with hosts Ross Benson, Ashley Erikson, and Craig Sherwood interviewing Road Kings board members and car show attendees. Ian Roussel from Full Custom Garage stopped by the booth to chat on the podcast about the lost art form of fabrication and customization before heading out to enjoy all the cars at the show. You can listen to the full podcast show here.
“As the President of the Road Kings, it was wonderful to see so many out at our show enjoying the cars and vendors,” said Karen Arellano, who is the club’s first female President. “The atmosphere was so positive. It was a fun show for all!” Karen’s husband, Gary Arellano, is the club’s Special Events Coordinator and spent countless hours organizing and executing Sunday’s event. “The show was awesome, and the hours were absolutely worth it,” he added.
Watch a quick video of the day on our YouTube!
Listen to our podcast episode recorded at the Burbank Road Kings Charity Car Show 2023
List of Guests
04:51- Karen Arellano, Burbank Road Kings President & Gary Arellano, Special Events Coordinator
15:21- Bob Beck, Long time Road Kings Car Show Announcer
17:03- Detective Sam Anderson, Burbank Police Department
27:44- Ian Roussel from Full Custom Garage & Fast Eddie
38:34 – Harry Burkholder and Robert Reel, Hotrod car owners
44:26- Don Baldaseroni, Burbank Road Kings Community Relations
56:22- Bob Greene, Community Chevrolet Fleet Manager
1:02:47- Michael Raymon, Burbank Firefighter Station 11
1:09:28- Bruce Borst, Burbank Road Kings Treasurer
