Pairing of the two events could become an annual downtown tradition
Published in the Oct. 1-14, 2014 issue of Morgan Hill Life
By Staff Report
Morgan Hill residents Nancy and Bob Benich admire a British-built automobile at the third annual car show celebrating classic cars in downtown Morgan Hill. Photo by Marty Cheek
Downtown Morgan Hill became the place for bites and Brits for several hours Sunday Sept. 14. The Morgan Hill Downtown Association combined its second annual Bites of Morgan Hill food-sampling extravaganza with the third annual British Classic Car Show fundraiser where 160 vehicles lined Monterey Street.
“This year we decided to put it on at the same time that the British Car Show was happening to add a little bit more interest to the event,” said Rosy Bergin, co-owner of Rosy’s at the Beach restaurant and an organizer of the Bites of Morgan Hill. “It was really nice with the weather and all the restaurants that were offering food.”
With Bites, people purchase a $40 ticket that let them go to 10 different restaurants and sample the food portions and non-alcoholic beverages offered by the proprietors. Participating restaurants were Betto’s Bistro, BookSmart, Bubbles Wine Bar, Grinds, Vines & Automobilia Cafe, Huntington Station, Noah’s Bar and Bistro, Rosy’s at the Beach, Siam Thai Restaurant, The Hill Bar and Grill, and Toto Trattoria.
This year’s Bites had a smaller turn out of people than the organizers had hoped but it was a “good event” with the participants enjoying the various foods provided for them, Bergin said.
The event will probably become an annual tradition, but the downtown association will evaluate its success along with the participation of the British Car Show, she said.
“The car show people really loved it,” she said. “Everyone who was there really liked it and it has a potential to grow into a really popular event.”
Bergin said she recognized just a few faces of the participants at Bites, indicating that the event brought in people who were new to the downtown.
“It’s really a great way of visiting Morgan Hill and visiting a lot of restaurants in one stop,” she said. “And if you’re showing Morgan Hill off to some visitors or relatives, it’s a great way to do it in one afternoon and go to a lot of great restaurants and visit the British car show.”
A total of 160 cars were entered in the British Car Classic such as Rolls Royce, Jaguar, MG, Morgan, Triumph, Austin Healey, Lotus, and Morris. A Beatles tribute band called Nigel and Clive entertained visitors with classic rock songs, she said.
Money raised by the British Classic will go to the nonprofit organization Community Solutions, said Bill Hiland, an organizer of the show which was sponsored by the On The Road Again Classics auto restoration and repair shop in Morgan Hill. The total amount of money that was raised by entry fees and other funding has not yet been determined, he said.
Comparing this year’s British Classic with the first two, Hiland said that he sees it growing in popularity.
“The quality of the cars has gone up. The variety of the cars, too,” he said. “We’ve got a Bentley here that won its class at the Concorde in Pebble Beach, one of the most prestigious in the world. People fly their cars from around the world to participate in Pebble Beach.”
Combining the car show with the Bites event helped to attract more people downtown to both events, he said.
“I think it’s got to bring some people,” he said. “The whole idea for me for the car show is to bring people down here who don’t have classic cars and the people who have cars can have fun and camaraderie and make friends. To bring new people in who are not car collectors is fun for the nostalgia.”
