Car show continues after 30 years

Karson Kruzers will be hosting the 30th annual Run What Cha Brung car show Saturday at Fuji Park Fairgrounds, with a kick-off celebration and dance Friday night at the Carson Mall.

Zina Donoho-King, secretary of the car club, said the show has endured so many years because of its founding principles.

“I really feel that it is the simple love of vehicles,” she said. “The acceptance of any car that you personally deem lovable. That was truly the idea behind Run What Cha Brung when it started 30 years ago.”

It started when B.J. Barnhurst and some friends decided to host a show where all cars were welcome, even if they had to be pushed, pulled or dragged to get there.

“No matter what it looked like, how much money had or had not been put into it, even whether it ran or not, it should be allowed to be showed off by its owner,” Donoho-King explained. “Hence, Run What Cha Brung was born.”

Although B.J. died in 2009, his wife, Jane, continues to attend in their 1934 Ford and awards a trophy in his memory.

The party begins Friday evening with registration kicking off at 6 p.m. at the Carson Mall. Live band Rockin’ Rev will play in the parking lot 7-10 p.m.

The last call for registration will be 7-9 a.m. Saturday at Fuji Park, with a pancake breakfast 7:30-9 a.m. Judging will run 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Games and vendors will be available throughout the day along with the car show. It will culminate with a parade of entrants at 6 p.m. at the Carson Mall, followed by the awards presentation.

The Karson Kruzers donate profits from the show to local projects, such as Safe Grad and Holiday with a Hero at Christmas time.

Donoho-King said participation has declined in recent years, as a result of a sluggish economy, from a time when car owners would come from as far away as Tennessee. However, she said, the easy going show is still attractive to many car enthusiasts.

“We’ve still got some dedicated people travel from California and Oregon,” she said. “It’s people just driving their cars, wiping the road dust off and sitting in the grass, enjoying each other. The family atmosphere has really kept it strong.”