SF Wekfest 2010 - Hype Kills!

At the beginning of the year a huge show is thrown in a certain parking lot in the Japanese cultural area of downtown San Francisco. It's in this garage sandwiched between Geary Ave and Post St that NorCal's largest car show takes place. What started as the J's Gathering/JDM Theory show has morphed into Wekfest since the title sponsor is now Weksos Industries. Since it's inception, the show has been synonymous with the hottest Civics and 240s around but has grown to include an array of VIP cars, JDM classics and even Euros. It's a show I've always wanted to attend and finally had a chance to check out.

As I rolled up to the venue over four hours prior to the gates opening, it became blatantly clear that this show was going to be a madhouse. The line of cars waiting to roll in was a sight sure to cause mass hysteria and unintentional vehicular homicide. Finding street parking within miles was impossible. When I finally made my way into the show I realized I only had a small taste of what was to come. I made sure to get most of my shooting done before the estimated heard of over 8,000 people dispersed into the parking garage.

The amount of cars on hand was a surprise to me as I had always imagined the show to be a bit smaller. About 420 cars had entered and many of them were sporting fresh looks - one of the perks of this show is that it has always been an arena for debuting newly-finished cars. Just as I had finished making my rounds the horde began to make its way in and the show officially began.

I literally couldn't believe the line that had amassed at the ramp leading into the lower garage, so I made sure to photograph it. What I didn't realize until I left for lunch was that the line of roughly eight people wide snaked through the garage, out the doors, down the street and wrapped around the building. The line itself was easily over 4,000 people long at its peak and there were reports of standing in line over two and a half hours to be a part of the show. Despite the massive crowd the show had a very hip yet laid back feel that was reminiscent of SF, I'll definitely be attending again next year!