Coolly Rocks Festival

This Hot Rod/RocknRoll Festival has been something that we have wanted to see for years.    It goes for 9 days in Coollangatta and brings thousands to the City, including 1200 Hot Rods.   Thats the limit on the no. of cars allowed.   The most we have ever seen in one place.     Plus there are dozens more, not entrants, that are parked around the streets or cruising the roads.   We spent all of Friday and Saturday checking it out.
Besides the cars, there are rock n roll bands playing everywhere,  dancing, huge markets on the foreshore and lots of very" interesting people" to look at.   The bars, cafes, coffee shops are all jammed packed.   This must bring huge dollars into this City and the traders must be loving it.

 On Saturday, the two main streets are closed to all traffic and you  wander up and down for klms. checking out the Hot Rods.   It was a nice sunny day, and we watched the hour long Street Parade, Harleys, Floats, Bands, Dancers and "celebrities" all got huge cheers.   For those that may remember - Issy Dye, Denise Drysdale, Delltones, Wilbur Wilde and Frankie J Holden all were in the parade.   Plus, racing legend Jim Richards and OUR favourite, Charley Hutton, the Ace Spray Painter for Boyd Coddington.  Our fav. Hot Rod DVDs are "American Hot Rod"
and Charley was the spray painter on many of the projects.   No big deal for most of you, but I was hoping to get a pic with Rick but lost the guy in the crush later on.    Hundreds of market stalls selling everything from Mag wheels and tyres to fashion of the 50s There were lots of women, old and young, (some who simply shouldnt have) dressed up in the fashion, hair and make up of the 50s.    We sat for a while and watched them passing.   It was an eye opener sometimes.   Rick conned one of the girls on the merchandise stand to sell him a T Shirt that stated he was an entrant in the Festival.    They had run out of big  sized Festival T Shirts and the only ones left were for Official Entrants.  He told her he was an entrant, just didnt have his car here.   She was very nice to him.    Maybe took pity on the Old Bloke.   !!!!!!!!!!!!!
A fantastic weekend, its on again today, Sunday, but we have had our fill.   Time to do something else before we leave the Gold Coast.    Loved every minute of it and so very happy we came and saw.