Hotrod Standoff back in Gonzales

GONZALES — When the Main Street Summer Concert Series kicks off on Friday, June 3, you might catch a little extra whiff of unleaded gasoline fumes in the air. That's because folks will already be arriving into town for the Hotrod Standoff car show scheduled for the next day.

Event promoter Joel Gammage returns to town expecting double the amount of cars and even more visitors to come along with that. In preparation, he has reserved both downtown squares to host the classic cars and hot rod machines — 20 blocks in total.

Included will be more vendors and bands than were featured last year and custom trophies for the best cars. It's all free to attend, and the Lockhart resident explains why he chose this city to be the next site of his already successful car show series.

“I believe in the preservation of history and culture,” said Gammage. “Living in a small town is all about its roots which are centralized in downtown historical districts such as in Gonzales.”

Gammage has done his due diligence in determining the scope of his hot rod festival. He has appeared before the Gonzales Convention and Visitors Bureau and city council to propose his plan, which have all been approved every step of the way. Last year's event featured 200 cars and an estimated 3,500 spectators, and considering his track record, town leaders and business owners quickly got behind the eager promoter.

Up the road in Lockhart is where Gammage got his start. As a fourth-generation member of his family's business — Texas Hatters — he was encouraged to find ways to support the brand. He combined his love of cars and rockabilly music to form the first Hatters and Hot Rods Car Show, which was a wild success.

Just a couple of months ago, the show celebrated its fifth anniversary with 836 cars entered into competition and 30,000 spectators descending upon downtown covering 22 blocks.

To prepare here, Gammage is working closely with the Chamber of Commerce to broaden the marketing campaign for the Gonzales show. He is hoping for a hot day on June 4, for all water sales are going to benefit the Chamber. He also looks to raise funds for the Gonzales County EMS and Rescue by selling sno-cones, soft drinks and snacks at the concession stand.

“We're happy to be working with local community non-profit organizations,” he said. “We feel it's important when local funds, such as sponsorship and HOT funds, are applied to make our events possible that we also give back by providing unique opportunities for multiple non-profits the opportunity to generate funds through our events.”

In keeping with tradition, the day will feature free music set to the rockabilly beat that drives a lot of these muscle cars. The daytime card features Ruby Dee and the Snake Handlers, Rosie Flores & Patricia Vonne, The Danger Cakes and Ready Betty. The nighttime dance, featuring Rick Trevino, will also be free and runs 10 p.m.-midnight.

Information on registering your ride for the show can be found at www.hotrodstandoff.org and up-to-date. information can be found on all of your traditional social media services.