15th Annual Cruise, BBQ, and Blues Car Show

15th Annual Cruise, BBQ, and Blues Car Show Highlights Automotive Ingenuity in Oro Valley on February 10 (Oro Valley, AZ)

One of Southern Arizona’s most expansive car shows and enthralling community events will return for a special 15th-anniversary celebration on Saturday, February 10 at the Oro Valley Marketplace. The Southern Arizona Arts & Cultural Alliance (SAACA) will host up to 160 of the region’s best classic and antique cars and trucks. The event will also feature a robust schedule of live blues music and a diverse selection of BBQ flavors.

The Cruise, BBQ and Blues event has been a favorite of Southern Arizona’s going on 15 years, shining a light on the automobile as an artform and celebrating the community that preserves that tradition in the process. In addition to witnessing automotive innovation, attendees will enjoy a full day of family-friendly fun with activities that span community exhibitors, live blues music, and classic, leading-edge BBQ flavors from some of the region’s finest culinarians.

Entertainment throughout the day includes the vibrant and soulful blues tones of mainstage performers Znora (10AM – 11PM), Miss Olivia & the Interlopers (11:30PM – 12:45PM), and the Porch Rockers (1:15PM – 2:30PM).

BBQ purveyors include local favorites and some of the region’s top chefs: Fresco Pizzeria / Zio Peppe, Fork & Fire, Dante’s Fire, Good Eats Catering, and Greater Faith Word Church International. Additional food vendors include Gus’s Gyros and Lemonade, Dippin’ Dots Ice Cream, and Oh Wow! Mini Donuts. Ice-cold beer will be available, provided by Firestone 805.

Proceeds from the event support SAACA’s year-round community arts programming, which directly supports and employs local artists and provides opportunities that further support SAACA’s mission of creating, preserving, and advancing the Arts. A salute to our Veterans will kick-off award festivities with the “Star-Spangled Banner” and a presentation of colors.

Cruise, BBQ and Blues exhibits cars and trucks in a variety of styles, including antique and modern, domestic and foreign, and modified and custom. Over 30 different classes of auto awards will be given, including prizes for Best of Show, Best Interior, Best Paint, Best Engine, and People’s Choice. Attendees can vote in the People’s Choice awards. Winners will receive handmade, custom awards by celebrated local artist, John Benedict.

SAACA is proud to partner with the Town of Oro Valley and Hughes Federal Credit Union to present this spectacular and loved community event.   

  The Cruise, BBQ & Blues Car Show will run from 10 AM to 3 PM on Saturday, February 10, 2024. Tickets will be sold at the door. Adult admission is $5; Veterans and active-duty military admission is $4; and children ages 10 and younger are free.   
 
WHAT TO EXPECT AT CRUISE, BBQ AND BLUES
• 15th Anniversary of a celebrated community event
• Spotlight on over 150 classic cars and trucks
• Live Blues Music by beloved Arizona bands
• People’s Choice Awards for best-in-class automobiles
• Featured Beer by 805 Brewing
• BBQ from local chefs and restaurants, including Fresco Pizzeria, Zio Peppe, Fork & Fire, Dante’s Fire, Good Eats Catering, and Greater Faith Word Church International
• Children’s Art Activities
• Interactive exhibitors, including Hotrods for Hunger, Rozegrave Music Gear, Streamline Solar, School of Rock Tucson, Hughes Federal Credit Unionl, Southwest Oasis Labrador Rescue, In-N-Out Burger, Truly Nolen, Pima Animal Care Center, Casa Adobes American Legion #73, and more
• Artistic displays by the Marana High School Welding Club

LIVE BLUES MUSIC 10AM – 11AM ZNORA Znora is an award-winning power trio out of the Southern Arizona desert. Founded in 2019 by Adrian Negrete, Znora is an energetic yet soulful band that plays psychedelic blues rock and classic rock covers. Negrete writes the original tunes, sings lead and plays guitar with a mix of varied influences from Chris Stapelton, Santana, Stevie Ray Vaughan and Jimi Hendrix. Joshua Montano brings his fierce drum skills, and Johnathan Rohde fills out the low end on the bass and blends rich harmonies. All three musicians come together to make this guitar-driven trio shine. 

Znora recently took first place in Alice Cooper’s Proof is in the Pudding Music and Dance Competition and was also nominated to represent Arizona at the Youth Showcase at the International Blues Challenge in Memphis, Tennessee this coming January. They are raising money for trip through a GoFundMe campaign. 

11:30AM – 12:45PM MISS OLIVIA & THE INTERLOPERS With their debut E.P. ‘Tiny Tales’, Miss Olivia & The Interlopers showcased a bold sound and a brilliant vision, weaving blues, soul and rock & roll – sounding for all the world like your favorite mixtape from an old friend with a great record collection.
 
And while the band’s lineup and direction may have evolved in the time since that release, their spirit hasn’t changed a bit. It just keeps getting bigger and better. 

Anchored by the creative core of powerhouse vocalist Olivia Reardon and nuanced bassist David Hostetler, this is a band that leads from the heart but never compromises on craft. Drawing from influences ranging all the way from Erykah Badu, Led Zeppelin, The Black Crowes, Jeff Buckley, St. Vincent, Lake Street Dive, Durand Jones and a million bands more, Miss Olivia & The Interlopers is a band whose performances are always unique but never less than their collective best, whether performing in a small space as an intimate trio, or as a full, dynamic eclectic rock ensemble. 

1:15PM – 2:30PM PORCH ROCKERS The Porch Rockers are a traditional blues band based in Tucson that performs a mix of blues, jump and swing. Members include AZ Blues Hall of Famers Mike Blommer on guitar and Larry Lee Lerma on bass. Steven Michael Jonas is on Harmonica and vocals along with Justin Donaldson on drums. The traditional four-piece captures the classic sounds of Chicago and the duets and trios bring you straight down to the Delta