Paradise Road Show 2019

For the second year we visited the Paradise Road Show, now in its third year. This year, the event was held earlier in the year, and moved from the Ace Hotel to the Saguro. The show, founded by Lana MacNaughton, Adri Law, and Chase Stopnik in 2016, aims to reinvent the modern day classic American car and motorcycle show for a new generation. The third iteration of the Roadshow feels much larger in scale – with the festive atmosphere dialed up a notch. 

Like previous years, the Road Show focuses on the LA and Inland Empire youth culture’s view of motorcycle and cruise culture. Though, what made this year more interesting was the amount of travelers to the show. The Pacific Northwest was represented by at least 25 people alone, and travelers from New Zealand, Canada, and more took part in the extended, multi-day party.

While the Ace allowed for a comfortable stroll around the show, the Saguro created a separation between the outdoor vintage vendors and car show, the pool side motorcycle show (complete with empty pool), and the tattoo artists and artisans inside the former Holiday Inn facility. While this limited the easy of flow, it did create pockets of activity that effectively helped control the increased size of the show.

Palm Springs is a great winter show location. For many travelers it offers a respite from a harsher winter where a show of this sort would be increasingly more difficult and saddled with questions like, “Is it gonna snow this year?” Just ask 1moto about that, right??? It is partially because this, that there seemed to be a very large Pacific Northwest contingent that descended on the desert town this year.

 While last year we seemed to stumble upon the show, this year our trip was intentional. This is in part due to the curiosity that the 2018 show left us with. A sense, of let’s see where it goes from here. In 2019 it didn’t so much as reinvent the founders’ vision, but expand upon it.

Much like last year the Paradise Road Show went a long way in creating its own vibe; it didn’t feel so much as a reinvention, but a modern celebration of the classic American motorcycle and car show. The particular thing that the 2019 Paradise Road Show captured well is a blend of old-timers and locals intermingling with a new generation of enthusiasts. There was not a feeling of one being pushed into an alley as opposed to the main show; one of the major drawbacks about the former location. With a switch in location however, this year felt less family friendly than the previous year, and that is not a knock - just a matter of observation.

To a certain extent our experience in 2019 left us feeling that there was more attention to detail, a bit less slap-dash, and that it was a good moment to catch a show as it was growing. Yes there are some minor growing pains, but in a large part, the show felt like it was put together with a genuine love for classic cars and motorcycles and the cultures that surround them. Plus the late night parties were pretty wild, but that will have to be another story…