ENCINITAS — The third weekend in September means one thing in Encinitas: The yearly woodie gathering.
Over the weekend, classic car restorers and enthusiasts gathered at Moonlight Beach for the 43rd annual Wavecrest Woodie Meet, sponsored by the San Diego Woodies.
On Friday, the woodies joined the final evening of Encinitas Cruise Nights, with the main event scheduled for Saturday. Participants said about 150 wooden-bodied vintage mobiles backed Moonlight Beach for the Wavecrest woodie show.
Sunday, the team met up again for the annual cruise up Coast Highway 101 to Oceanside.
Some are residents, hailing from all around San Diego County, and others crossed oceans to join the local chapter of National Woodie Club.
John and Darlene Lintz, of Arizona, were so compelled by the event 10 years ago, they bought their own woodie — and house in Encinitas to store it in.
“This is the spot for woodies,” John told the Coast News on Sunday, adding that 2022 had a lower turnout than most years.
A decade earlier during a visit to Southern California, John said he noticed a bunch of woodies “breaking up” and going their separate ways on the Coast Highway 101.
“I wasn’t aware of an event like this,” John said. “So, I became a fan and car owner.”
Woodies are vehicles with visible wood-structured and/or clad bodies, according to the National Woodie Club. Most were originally built between the 1920s and ’70s.
For more information, visit to sandiegowoodies.com.
