Jacksonville Car Culture events calendar
Caffeine and Octane
The next Caffeine and Octane is set from 8 to 11 a.m. Saturday, January 14, at The Avenues mall’s Southside Boulevard parking lots.
And this is the sixth anniversary of the event, formerly known as Cars and Coffee, moving to the shopping center from its former home at the old Florida Times-Union site on Riverside Avenue.
Here’s some memories of those days with images from the December 2016 Cars and Coffee at the Times-Union building, now gone:
And here’s a reminder that the January event celebrates Japanese enthusiast/collectible/classic/luxury vehicles in a special display within the Central Lot. Submit your ride for consideration at caffeineandoctane.com:
And Mercedes-Benz enthusiasts are invited to join the cruise-in at the gated “Central Lot” as well.
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 Jacksonville corner, exotics area, Classics Rows and more at the August 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 reminders – 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.
Upcoming events….
Seventh annual Jimmy Jam BBQ Slam & Car Show: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on this Saturday at the St. Johns County Fairgrounds at 5840 Florida 207 in Elkton. Spectator admission is $5 per person, and $25 per show vehicle day-of-show. The title sponsor is MasterCraft Builder Group. There is a Florida BBQ Association Competition, and an SCA Steak Competition, with food for sale and live music.
Sixth annual Pedro Menendez High School Athletic Booster Club benefit car show: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 11, at the Classic Car Museum of St. Augustine at 4730 U.S. 1 S./Dixie Highway S. Free for spectators and $20 day-of-show for display vehicles.
Moose Lodge Car, Van and Truck Show: 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 11, at the Chapter 184 Moose Lodge at 3875 Reid St. in Palatka. Free for spectators and $25 day-of-show for display vehicles.
Southeast Eurofest: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Jan 14, at the Classic Car Museum of St. Augustine at 4730 U.S. 1 S./Dixie Highway S. Open to all European Cars. VW, Audi, BMW, Porsche and more. Online registration is $20 per show vehicle.
11th Annual Kruisin4Kids car show: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, February 25, at Dinsmore Baptist Church, 10500 Old Kings Road in Jacksonville, with a burnout competition.
8th Annual San Jose Car & Truck Show at Dupont Station: 8:30 10 11:30 a.m. on Saturday, April 1, 6271 St. Augustine Road. More info to come. Proceeds will be donated to the Bishop John J. Snyder Community Center.
Riding into History Concours D’Elegance: Set for April 15, 2023, at the World Golf Village in St. Augustine, with Competition Motorcycles as the featured class and Grand Marshal Mary McGee, AMA Hall of Fame and Off Road Motorsports Hall of Fame inductee. McGee will join the Grand Marshal Tour that weekend, as well as the Grand Marshal Banquet. Riding into History is a non-profit organization with its primary charity, K9s for Warriors, which provides service dogs for disabled veterans. Riding into History has donated more than $600,000 to local charities since its founding in 1999.
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
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.
Caffeine and Gasoline: Free first Saturday of the month cruise-in at 7 to 10 a.m. Saturday at J-Tech Institute at 8813 Western Way in Jacksonville. House rules – “respect the property.”
North Florida Domestic Car Club’s cruise-in: 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. each first Saturday of the month at a new site – the Crossroad Church UMC, 10005 Gate Parkway.
Gripping Gears Car Meet: 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the first Saturday of each month at Adamec Harley-Davidson at 380 Outlet Mall Blvd. in St. Augustine, presented by Jacksonville Headturners.
First Coast Car Council: All cruise-ins postponed
Callahan Cruisers: 4 to 7 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.
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.
New cruise-in: 1 p.m. every third Saturday at Hardee’s at 6852 Wilson Blvd.
Amelia Cruizers: 3 to 6 p.m. every third Saturday at Cold Stone Creamery, 808 Sadler Road, Fernandina Beach. The Amelia Cruizers Car Club will stage a cruise to the ice cream store, staging at 2 p.m. in the parking lot next to the closed Krystal’s (2020 Sadler Road), then make an informal parade along the ocean and on Centre Street through downtown to end at Cold Stone.
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.; 3 to 6 p.m. every second Saturday at Dick’s Wings Fleming Island at 1803 E. West Parkway; 5 p.m. every third Friday at Freddy’s Steakburgers at 386 Blanding Blvd.; 8 to 10 a.m. every fourth at Nicole’s Café at 1101Blanding Blvd. in Orange Park; 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: 6 p.m. every fourth Saturday at Mission 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.
And finally…
He coined the term Hoonigan, and Ken Block showed that skilled attitude whether racing against any and all comers in his wild Hoonicorn Mustang, or hanging the rear wheels of his Ford Focus rally car over the edge of a harbor.
But last weekend, the 55-year-old racer, video blogger and very nice guy died, confirmed on Jan. 2 by Hoonigan’s Instagram:
“With our deepest regrets that we can confirm that Ken Block passed away in a snowmobile accident today. Ken was a visionary, a pioneer and an icon. And most importantly, a father and husband He will be incredibly missed. Please respect the family’s privacy at this time while they grieve.”
Block co-founded DC Shoes, then moved on to race in Rally America starting in the mid-2000’s, steering a Subaru WRX STI. He co-founded Hoonigan Racing with Brian Scotto and continued rallying in the World Rally Championship as well as FIA World Rallycross. And anyone with YouTube saw his many wild-yet-hyper-skilled Gymkhana videos starting in 2008.
Two years later, he partnered with Ford Performance and raced/exhibited his outrageous Mustang, Focus, Fiesta, and F-150 builds. And more recently, he worked with Audi, one of his rides the all-electric “S1 Hoonitron.”
Geoffrey Hacker, head of Undiscovered Classics and Forgotten Fiberglass in Tampa, posts on his Facebook page that there will be 9 American Specials on The Amelia concours d’elegance show field in early March. Here’s another one expected to shine on the show field – the 1955 Bosley GT Mark I.
The Bosley GT Mark I has wowed crowds around the world since it was first introduced via Road & Track magazine to the public in 1955.
Richard Bosley, a horticulturist from Mentor, Ohio had never built a hot rod or car of any sort. In 1952 when he was 21, he decided he wanted to build his dream car that would surpass anything on the market at the time, Hacker said.
Powered by a Chrysler Hemi V-8, the low-slung fiberglass Bosley had an advertised top speed of more than 160 miles per hour. Intended as a dual-purpose sports and racing car, Road & Track writer Len Frank called the Bosley the most exciting, gorgeously proportioned shape he had ever seen when he wrote about it then. And Strother Macminn, director of the Pasadena Art Center of Design’s Transportation Department, stated that the Bosley changed the thinking of his students at that time.
The Ohio-based creator found it difficult to secure funding to produce his car in quantity, Hacker said. Built at a cost of over $9,000, this prototype remains the only Bosley GT Mark I ever produced.
Speaking of The Amelia….
The annual Werks Reunion Amelia Island returns on March 3 to The Amelia River Club at 4477 Buccaneer Trail, hosted by the local arm of the Porsche Club of America. Registration has opened for the event, which starts at 7 a.m. as registered cars begin filing the grass. Spectator parking is $40 cash per person. At 10:30 a.m., Youth Judging sponsored by Hagerty begins, with awards from 2 to 3 p.m. The Porsche event is held in conjunction with……
… The 28th iteration of The Amelia has tickets are available, with stock car legend Jeff Gordon as honoree on March 2-5. The weekend’s events include a Saturday seminar featuring Gordon and NASCAR Hall of Fame crew chief Ray Evernham; chances to meet the legendary driver at Sunday’s concours; and a class of vehicles he drove and won in during his career. Details and tickets are at AmeliaConcours.com.