Jacksonville Car Culture events calendar
Caffeine and Octane
Hot town, summer in the city, so it’s time for your convertible to shine at the next Caffeine and Octane Jacksonville from 8 to 11 a.m. on Saturday at The Avenues mall’s Southside Boulevard parking lots. That’s right – droptops, roadsters, rag tops or just plain convertibles are highlighted this Saturday in a special display within the Central Lot:
That includes Spyders and targa tops too – Submit your ride for consideration at caffeineandoctane.com:
An estimated 1,000-plus cars, trucks, motorcycles and more come to the all-makes, all-models free show, with all parking spots first come/first serve. Cars should start arriving by 7 a.m. each Saturday to the Southside Boulevard side of the shopping mall, the best way in through Malabar Boulevard. As always, there will be a Porsche section, and an exotics area at the July C&O. And look for literally hundreds of vintage and classic cars, muscle cars and so much more.
Official Caffeine and Octane merchandise is on sale at all Caffeine and Octane Jacksonville events.
Gentle reminder – All vehicles parked in the Central Lot must remain in place until the show concludes at 11 a.m. Please park in the Exhibit Lot if you need to leave prior to 11 a.m. Those parking in the Exotics Lot and the Porsche Corner are free to arrive and leave at any time!
The North Florida Domestic Car Club’s second cruise-in at its new site was packed despite steamy, sunny weather. The revived cruise-in is held each first Saturday of the month at the PDQ at 4816 Gate Parkway, and saw an overflow crowd of cars and car-lovers last weekend – here’s just a few:
Now the car shows:
Vet Center Auto Show: 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, July 16, at the Jacksonville 1 VA Clinic at 1536 N. Jefferson St. Event includes a health fair.
Summer Showcase 2022 – Saturday and Sunday, July 16 and 17, at the Jacksonville Equestrian Center, 13611 Normandy Blvd. The car show also includes an audio system arena and dB Drag. Admission for those competing in sound system events is $15 now or $30 at the gate. Show cars: pre-reg $20, and $40 at the gate, and $5 per spectator. Tickets can be purchased here.
Nassau Moose Riders Dreams Come True Rocking Car and Bike Show: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, July 23, at the Nassau Moose Lodge at 850062 U.S. 17 N. in Yulee. Free for spectators and $20 per pre-1989 show vehicle and all years of motorcycles. Proceeds benefit Dreams Come True.
Touch-A-Truck: 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, July 30, at the Clay County Fairgrounds at 2497 Florida 16 in Green Cove Springs. Local and county work vehicles and trucks will be on display. Quiet time is 9 to 11 a.m., then lights and sirens sound off until 2 p.m. Free for spectators.
Exchange Club of Jacksonville’s Family Center Car Show: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. On Saturday, Aug. 20, at St. John the Divine Greek Orthodox Church at 12760 Beach Blvd. Free for spectators and $25 day of show for display vehicles.
38th annual Ancient City Auto Club Show: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 5, at the Classic Car Museum of St. Augustineat 4730 U.S. 1 S./Dixie Highway South in St Augustine. Free to spectators and $25 day of show for display vehicles.
The FIRM (Florida International Rally and Moto Park): Open Track Days held most weekends at the road course and rally course at 7266 Airport Road in Starke.
All the Cruise-ins
First Coast Car Council, Clay County Cruzers, Callahan Cruisers and Amelia Cruizers all hold regular weekend cruise-ins, so check their Facebook pages.
Caffeine and Octane Jacksonville: 8 to 11 a.m. every second Saturday at The Avenues Mall at 10300 Southside Blvd. Information: https://bit.ly/3gPRvVQ.
First Coast Car Council: The second Saturday cruise-in is from 5 to 8 p.m. at the Medical & Merchants Center of Mandarin, 11701 San Jose Blvd.
The Part’s House/The Brothers Banter Podcast Cruise-in: The renamed White Brothers Auto Parts Cruise-in at the same time – 5 to 8 p.m. every second Friday at 405 Lane Ave. N.
Callahan Cruisers: 5 to 8 p.m. every second Saturday at Hardee’s at 542309 U.S. 1 in Callahan.
Auto Legends Amelia Cars and Coffee: 9 a.m. to noon every second Saturday at Mocama Beer Company, 629 S. 8th St. in Fernandina Beach.
Johnny Angels: 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. every third Friday at Johnny Angels diner at 3546 St. Johns Bluff Road S.
Returned cruise-in: Jax Beach Classic Car Cruise: 5 p.m. Tuesday July 19 at Latham Plaza, 11 Ocean Front N. in Jacksonville Beach. Thanks to the support of the City of Jacksonville Beach, the Sea Walk Pavilion and Latham Plaza (across from the Pavilion between 1st and 2nd St on the corner of 2nd Ave. North can be used to showcase pre-registered cars.
Cruise Fruit Cove: 3 to 7 p.m. every third Saturday at the PDQ at 194 Florida 13 in Saint Johns, just south of Julington Creek.
Amelia Cruizers: 3 to 6 p.m. every third Saturday at Cold Stone Creamery, 808 Sadler Road, Fernandina Beach.
Yulee Cars and Coffee: 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. every third Sunday at the Sonic Drive-In at 463939 Florida 200 in Yulee.
Clay County Cruzers’ events: 3 to 6 p.m. every first Saturday at Big Dawg Sports Restaurant, 1330 Blanding Blvd. The Cruzers’ other events: At 3 to 6 p.m. on the second Saturday, the cruise-in returns to Dick’s Wings Fleming Island at 1803 E. West Parkway; 5 p.m. every third Friday at Freddy’s Steakburgers at 386 Blanding Blvd.; and 2 to 5 p.m. every fourth Saturday at Gator’s Dockside Oakleaf, 316 Merchants Way, Jacksonville.
Classic Car Museum of St. Augustine monthly cruise-ins: St. Augustine Cruiser’s “Cruise In” from 5 to 7 p.m. every third Saturday, and Cars and Coffee from 8 to 10 a.m. every fourth Saturday, both at 4730 U.S. 1 S./Dixie Highway South in St Augustine.
Cars and Coffee Fleming Island: 8 a.m. every fourth Sunday of the month at 2310 Village Square Parkway, Fleming Island.
New cruise-in: 1 p.m. on Saturday, July 16, and every third Saturday at Hardee’s at 6852 Wilson Blvd.
New cruise-in: 6 p.m. every fourth Saturday at Missions BBQ, 8440 Blanding Blvd. in Jacksonville, hosted by Modern Mustangs of Jacksonville.
New cruise-in: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. every fourth Saturday at the Rockin’ 50’s Eatery at 3501 N. Ponce De Leon Blvd. in St. Augustine.
New cruise-in: Custard Cruise-in from 5 to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, July 5, at Culver’s, 3433 U.S. 1 in St. Augustine.
Show and Tell, 6 to 9 p.m. every fourth Thursday at Advance Auto Parts at 10014 Atlantic Blvd.
Historic Springfield Main Street Cruise: 4 p.m. every fourth Saturday between 8th and 17th streets at Main Street in Jacksonville’s Springfield community.
North Florida Domestic Car Club’s new cruise-in: 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. each first Saturday of the month at the PDQ at 4816 Gate Parkway.
And finally…
Automotive Hall of Fame inductee, former General Motors Vice President of Global Design and a regular at The Amelia, Ed Welburn, will serve as honoree at the inaugural Detroit Concours d’Elegance on Sept. 16- to 18.
Welburn at The Amelia a few years ago
“When selecting an honoree for the all-new Detroit Concours, there was only one choice, Ed Welburn,” Hagerty CEO McKeel Hagerty said. “Ed’s impact on the automotive industry and his connection to the Detroit Institute of Arts is without equal. I can’t imagine celebrating car culture in the Motor City without honoring him.”
“I’m excited about the Hagerty team’s forward-thinking idea to stage a concours in the cultural center of Detroit, a city with a rich automotive history and the heart of the future of the automobile,” Welburn added.
Welburn started drawing cars at the age of two, and had decided on a career in automotive design by the time he was eight. His mission took on greater meaning when he wrote his first letter to General Motors at the age of 11. The company would write back with next step recommendations. He studied design, sculpture and painting at Howard University’s School of Fine Arts. He continued his communication with General Motors at Howard, which led to an GM Design internship after his junior year in 1971. One year later, Welburn became the first African American hired to design GM vehicles.
In 2003, Welburn was named GM vice president of design, the sixth person to lead the department in the company’s history, then became the first person to lead GM Design globally a few years later, overseeing more than 1,400 designers working in 11 design centers in seven countries.
In 2017, Welburn was awarded an honorary Doctorate of Fine Arts by the College for Creative Studies, and inducted into the Automotive Hall of Fame. In 2018, he received the Eyes On Design Lifetime Design Achievement award and, in 2021, a Lifetime Achievement award from Robb Report. In 2019, Ed founded Welburn Media Productions, where he serves as CEO and as a producer on a major movie project about the story of African American race car drivers in the 1920s and 1930s.