Fallbrook Motor Fest rolls into town

Visitors to downtown Fallbrook on Saturday, August 7 said they enjoyed the great music, fast cars, and unbelievable variety of motorcycles (antiques to choppers) at the first Fallbrook Motor Fest hosted by the Historic Downtown Merchants Association (HDMA) and the Fallbrook Chamber of Commerce.

The Andre J Band played Rhythm and Blues, Motown and funk in the Village Square for the crowd. “They were awesome and amazing — very danceable and people really enjoyed them,” said Leslie Sommers, owner of Caravan clothing boutique and HDMA member.

Two bands, Indica Roots and Given Life, played at the Elder House at the corner of Main and Elder.

“All the bands were really great,” said Tom Casey of Fight Legends Clothing. “People were really having a good time.”

Michael Calvanese, president of HDMA and owner of Café des Artistes restaurant said he was impressed with the outcome of the event.

“I was very pleased to greet so many out-of-towners who enjoyed their visit to Fallbrook and said they looked forward to coming back,” he said. However, Calvanese said he hopes local residents will provide input on future events for planning purposes.

“I was a little disappointed with the local participation and hope to hear more from locals about the kind of events they would like to attend downtown,” said Calvanese.

Hundreds of people showed up for the first-time event, many from out of town. Sponsor Shakka Clothing from the Temecula Valley was on site at the event and showed their new designs, as did Fight Legends Clothing.

Bryan Doherty of California Porsche Restoration had five beautifully restored Porsches on display for the public’s viewing pleasure.

A nice showing of drifter cars were on display in the event, including a 500 horsepower 2006 Mitsubishi Evo 9, belonging to Dustin Fleet of San Marcos. The extremely fast Evo 9 is the only one in the country that is the Verde Ithica green color. Fleet said he bought the car new and spent about $15,000 modifying it from the original 270 hp.

SDCS brought their shop car, an Acura 2002 NSX. The 375 hp car featured a carbon fiber hood and trunk and was just outfitted with $7,500 Rambo brakes. The car is fabricated from all aluminum and is reportedly one of the best handling cars ever made, according to the Lindo Ledesma, who brought it to the Motor Fest.

Two more Evo 8 Mitsubishis – one in red and the other in orange were also notable vehicles at the event. Danny Yu, a design engineer consultant and owner of the Lamborghini Orange Evo 8, has been in the scene over 18 years. His car is fully sponsored and may be in the next Fast and Furious movie. The interior is comprised completely of suede with custom seats. The vehicle has a full wide body and Yu said he replaces the tires every three months due to the racing he does.

North County Alliance (NCA) motorcycle group brought dozens of “crotch rockets” from all over North County. Elton Hurd (L-Boogie) said the bikers from various clubs come together for rides and charity events. Another member said the riders were mostly from Escondido, Oceanside, Vista, and they “are looking for Fallbrook riders that are seeking a club.”

Mary Perhacs, executive director of the Fallbrook Art Center, where the Wheels of Desire 3 motorcycle art show featuring $1.5 million in motorcycles is currently on display said it was the strongest day they had experienced since the opening of the show and it was busy all day.

Fallbrook’s Historic Downtown Merchants Association is busy planning its next event and is seeking input from the community as to the type of event people would find most enjoyable. To submit ideas, contact Michael Calvanese at Café des Artistes, (760) 728-3350.

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