Vintage motorcars from the dawn of the automobile age are rolling back into Old Poway Park this Saturday, September 26, for the second Horseless Carriage Car Show of the year — a free event running from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. that pairs pre-1916 vehicles with Edwardian-era costumes, a working narrow-gauge steam train, and the park's regular Saturday farmers market.
The show, held at Old Poway Park's 14134 Midland Road address, is presented in partnership with the Horseless Carriage Club of America's La Jolla Regional Group, according to Pomerado News. It follows a successful inaugural spring event. The City of Poway calendar also lists longstanding traditions like Rendezvous in Poway. That debut established the show as a recurring fixture rather than a one-off.
Sarah Becker, recreation area manager for the City of Poway, said guests will see automobiles from the horseless carriage era displayed throughout the park, per the same Pomerado News report. She added that Old Poway Park was created as a place where Poway's history could be preserved and experienced by future generations — a mission the site has carried since its earliest days.
What Counts as a Horseless Carriage
The term horseless carriage was commonly used during the earliest years of the automobile, when designs still resembled the horse-drawn carriages they replaced, the article notes. That era, spanning the late 1800s through the early decades of the 20th century, marked a major transformation in American transportation and daily life. Founded in Southern California in 1937, the Horseless Carriage Club of America focuses on motorcars built before 1916, a period associated with the so-called Brass Era of motoring, known for its brass radiators and early mechanical designs.
The La Jolla Regional Group co-hosting Saturday's show was established in 1958 and focuses on pre-1916 motorcars. Col. John Porter, the man whose property later became Old Poway Park, was himself a member of the group, according to Pomerado News. Beyond static park displays, the La Jolla chapter also organizes touring events across the county throughout the year.
California even has a legal category for these vehicles: under California Vehicle Code Section 5004, the state issues specialized Horseless Carriage license plates for motor vehicles with 16 or more cylinders built before 1965, any vehicle manufactured in 1922 or earlier, or certain post-1922 vehicles at least 25 years old and of historic interest. Vehicles carrying those plates must be maintained primarily for historical exhibition, not everyday driving.
From Private Rail Hobby to City Park
Old Poway Park's roots trace to the 1960s, when retired Army Col. John Porter acquired a narrow-gauge locomotive and laid out a short line on his Midland Road property. Porter, who owned property in Poway, wanted to create an Old West tourist destination on the land, according to the Poway-Midland Railroad. After Porter's death in 1980, the City of Poway later acquired the property from the Porter family.
That volunteer-run railroad still operates on rare 3-foot-6-inch narrow-gauge track and includes a 1906 San Francisco cable car reported to be the only operational passenger-carrying cable car outside the Bay Area, according to Atlas Obscura. Cable Car No. 17 was built following the 1906 San Francisco earthquake and was acquired by Poway in 1997. The park's historic train will operate during Saturday's car show, giving visitors two different eras of transportation history in one visit.
Costumes, Music and a 19th-Century Assembly Hall
Members of the San Diego Costume Guild will appear in period-appropriate attire during the show, according to Pomerado News. An organ grinder will provide period-inspired musical entertainment throughout the morning.
Also open during the event will be the historic Nelson House, the Old Poway Park Museum, a pottery studio, Coastal Gatherings woodshop and Templars Hall. Hoodline recently covered a folk star's tour stop there.
The car show will run alongside the regular Poway Farmers Market, which is open 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. the same day, bringing together early automobiles, period clothing, music, historic buildings, artisans and a historic train in a single visit, per Pomerado News. Event information is available by calling 858-668-4576 or visiting poway.org.
