As many have pointed out, we're faced with overcrowding at Cars & Coffee. It has been our desire from the outset to welcome EVERYONE, but that has been with the request that this be a word-of-mouth gathering, not promoted online or through the media, and not surprised by pre-arranged caravans of cars arriving without confirming their plans in advance with the organizers. This is why we have asked area media and websites to not cover it. The vision of Cars & Coffee continues to be the preservation of what was started at Crystal Cove, to host a good variety of cars that are of interest and are unusual.

What makes a car "of interest?" The simplest way to put it is ... cars that you don't see the other six days of the week! If it's a car that is driven every day, odds are, it's not a car that will get people out of bed at 6 a.m. on a Saturday. Of course there will be a few exceptions, but that can be a general guide. If you remember the original Crystal Cove gathering, they did get to the point of excluding cars. We are trying to avoid that and we have only turned away cars when we are full. We rely on people to "self-police" in their awareness that a car you'd see in the shopping center lot on a Tuesday is probably not a top priority for the exhibitor lot at C&C. Such a car shouldn't be taking a space on Saturday morning that would require us to turn away a Tucker, a Jaguar XK-120, a Porsche 904, a Bugatti Veyron or a Ferrari 599, for example. Our parking structure holds 700 cars! We urge everyone to use it if you bring something not appropriate for exhibit. It's a matter of courtesy for your fellow enthusiasts. Above all, communicate with us, the organizers, if you are thinking of showing up with your whole forum in tow. Please get permission first or at least respect the decision of the organizers when they ask you to park together in the spectator lot. With advance notice, we can probably arrange for the featured marque lot that holds 50 cars. How to communicate? Stop at the entry driveway where volunteers are welcoming exhibitors. Or, give John Clinard a call at 949-242-6677. With advanced planning and your assurance of attendance within space constraints, any group or club that is put on the calendar can be better assured of a warm welcome, adequate space and a good time.

Since C&C began in October 2006, we have hosted 140 shows and over 70,000 cars! We have only had to turn cars away on three Saturdays, and each of those were because large groups showed up without pre-announcing their plans. That was no fun for anyone.

You've noticed we don't have a website and we never publicize featured marques. Why? Two reasons: to keep every Saturday a surprise, and to prevent Internet traffic that would produce excessive attendance requiring people to be turned away. Our limited space requires us to rely upon old-fashioned word-of-mouth. We fill the lot with this approach, and further promotion will hurt us all. While we work to minimize "rules" and "organization," some amount of pre-planning is essential in order to keep attendance within our capacity. The people at Ford and Mazda are generously sharing their parking lot and building facilities every Saturday. This is an opportunity that doesn't come along often, and we ask that everyone work together to assure a quality exhibit with limited attendance that allows room for everyone. Good community spirit and a bit of advanced planning assures a good time for all!

C&C