Cars and Spars fills Barker Park

Barker Park was filled with colorful food vendors, a truck show for the vehicle enthusiasts and boxing matches for the sports fans.

Cars and Spars was the centerpiece Saturday of a park filled with people as far as the eye could see.

There were boxers representing Bakersfield SAL, Wasco SAL, the Bakersfield Truck Club and Wasco's Orange Heart Foundation participating in the events of the day. Hall Ambulance even had a unit at the park demonstrating CPR

"This was the first time we have combined one of Danny Rueda's car shows with a boxing match and added food vendors to help make the event successful," Orange Heart's Orquidea Ocampo said. "So many groups volunteered to make this a great event."

The City of Wasco and Palm Avenue Middle School contributed by creating a Kids Corner where younger kids could play games for free and win prizes. The City of Wasco had a bean-bag toss with a colorful sign with holes in it for the bags to go. Palm Avenue Middle School had little glass jars perched on a tabletop and kids tossed ping pong balls into the jars. Everyone who played was able to take a piece of candy.

Eric Keay's bright blue 2000 Ford F-250 was taller than its owner. Monitoring the truck with watchful eyes were Eric and Maggie Keay. Their 11-year-old son, Breydon, was fast asleep inside the truck.

Ocampo said that Orange Heart set up all the vendor booths at 8 a.m. that morning and helped set up the games in Kids' Corner. "We partnered with SAL and also had a beer garden at the event," she said.

"This is my first time coming to a car show at the park," attendee Marcus Martinez said. "It's good family time today."

-Toni DeRosa