Re: Bay Area events?

[Scott Fisher <sefisher@domain.elided>]

Peter F. asks about Bay Area events between 9/25 and 10/3.

Boy, Peter, did you pick the right time to come to the Bay Area!  Well,
ignoring the tire fire in Westley, anyway...

On Sunday, 9/26, the Alfa Romeo Association is having an autocross at
San Jose City College, on Moorpark road near Winchester (dang, I can't
remember the address) in San Jose.  We'll figure out a way to let you
participate if you want to drive your Milano in the autocross, or you
can just show up and see a bunch of cool Alfas being driven at varying
rates of speed for most of the day.  It's great fun, and perfect timing
for you.

The following weekend there's even more to do -- in fact, almost too
much!

Saturday, Oct. 2 is the first annual Day Before The Italian Cars Tour,
which I'm hosting.  See
http://www.living-history.org/classics/icar_tour.html for details on
time, location, and tour route, but basically this event is about
120-140 miles of some of the most incredible scenery (and the most
incredible sports-car roads) you'll ever see.  We'll go up one side of
the mountain, down the other, motor past some of the most scenic
stretches of the Pacific coast, then climb back up into the redwoods;
we'll visit a couple of wineries, have a picnic at the foot of a
lighthouse, buy fresh hot artichoke-garlic sourdough bread at the edge
of a field of artichokes, see a 19th century Cape Cod style church in a
village built by Portuguese fishermen who came here from Boston -- and
more.  It's an all-day tour, though if you're able to drop in for only
part of it that's all right too.  The tour is free, though you'll want
to bring along some cash (or at least a Visa/Mastercard) for picnic
supplies and dinner at the end of the day (currently slated for Ciao
Bella, an outdoor Italian restaurant nestled in a grove of redwood trees
on Highway 9).

Sunday, Oct. 3 there are two events.  One is the 20th anniversary of The
Barber Shop, one of northern California's most respected sources of Alfa
parts, service and lore.  The Delta Sierra AROC chapter is hosting this
party, and I'll let their VP Michael Williams say some more about that
(such as where & when), but from other joint events I've participated in
with the DSAROC, I can well believe they're planning a LOT more than
just a piece of cake in a garage.  The other is the All Italian Car Day
in Alameda, California; I've got all that information at home, in the
"Overheard Cams," the Alfa Romeo Association's newsletter.  Stop by the
autocross on Sunday and pick one up, we're bound to have a stack of 'em.

Basically, the All-Italian Car Show is an informal event but one that
draws some magnificent machinery -- prewar Alfas, for example, as well
as Panteras, Ferraris, and probably at least one Abarth Allemano Coupe
(Andy Schank is sure to bring it, it's gorgeous).  Oh, and probably 40
or 50 postwar Alfas as well (at least one dark green Spider, most likely
still covered with the dust of the previous day's tour, I suspect).  I
think there's a fee to participate, but it's modest and it goes to a
good cause: it's donated to the Alameda Special Olympics team.  

So that's what's going on this week, or at least what I know of.  Come
to the Autocross on Sunday and we'll put together a heck of an itinerary
for you!

- --Scott Fisher
  ARA Social Director In Training
  Sunnyvale, California

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