Hot rods and motorcycles go together like peanut butter and jelly–good individually, but great together. Because of this, residents from Colorado’s Front Range were in for quite the treat this last weekend as Thunder Mountain Harley-Davidson of Loveland put on their annual Hot Rod & Hawgs show. Check out all the highlights below!

The Hot Rods & Hawgs show is a favorite among bike fans and hot rodders alike in Colorado. Open to just about every type of vehicle out there, this annual event pulls out all the stops, bringing in vendors, bike and rod shops, demonstrations, entertainment, and of course, all kinds of killer rides. Whether you’re into bikes or rods, or maybe even a little bit of both, this is one show that’s definitely worth the cruise to Loveland to see.

Celebrating its seventh year, the Hot Rods & Hawgs event brought out about 100 hot rods and a few hundred bikes this year for a melding of enthusiast-based forms on Saturday, May 7th. Also on hand were local food trucks, pinstripers and other artisans, as well as a bike stunt crew and a rockabilly band, which kept everyone entertained.

Though it was a smaller show, there were a surprising number of cars we had never seen on the show circuit before, including awesome recent builds, classically-styled rods, and even a unique red and gold-leaf number originally built in the UK.

Rest assured, we have our eye on a few that may even make our feature list later on this year!

Rods & Rides

A laid-back affair, Hot Rods & Hawgs invites all makes and models to the event. Evidence of this was everywhere, as brand new Mustangs parked next to 1930s Fords, a new Corvette melted into a sea of classic muscle cars and rat rods and derelicts showed up in just about every row of vehicles. We even found a few “rats” in the bike area, including a 1970s Yamaha that had been put together solely from parts found around the garage.

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Keep an eye out for full features on some of our favorite cars from the show later this year!

Some of our favorite vehicles in the mix were a ’32 Tudor owned by Estes Park custom painter Howard Steinfath, a crazy classically-built ’33 owned by David Bennett of Fort Collins, the Colorado Constriptor Willys and a unique Falcon Wagon owned by Scott Foreman. We also had our eye on a couple of modified trucks including a Five-Window Chevy and a significantly modded two-tone Ford.

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Our affinity for old-school trucks may seem a little odd, but with examples like these all over Colorado, it's easy to see we're not the only hot rod truck fans!

Of course, there were also long-time favorites in the crowd, including classic rides built and owned by our friends from the Road Knights Car Club.

Entertainment and Other Sites to See

When show-goers weren’t ogling over the many amazing rides on hand, they were talking to local artisans who had hood ornaments, clothing, and even pinstriping services for sale.

Our friends from Freakshow Tattoo were also at the event, showing off some of owner Dan Dolan’s rides as well as offering $20 piercings on site. Adam Lucier and his crew from Newstalgia Custom Paint & Design were also on hand, showing off the shop’s amazing paintjobs on everything from cars to guitars.

At the LiL Dame Pinstriping booth, local artist Beth Kearney displayed some of her work up front, from pinstriped phone case covers to custom helmet designs, while she demonstrated her pinstriping skills on the back of a bike.

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Whether you were looking for some entertainment or new accessories for your car, the Hot Rods & Hawgs show had it all!

Those looking for some good music could be found under the pavilion where a rockabilly band was cranking out the tunes, while performance enthusiasts lined the west parking lot where stunt bike group 1 Wheel Revolution performed killer stunts and crazy tricks. The highlight of their show? A burnout contest that included color smoke tires and blowing out the rear rubber on two stunt bikes.

Pinup Girls

With hot rods and bikes brimming from the parking lots surrounding Thunder Mountain, the only thing that was missing was a population of pinup girls; that was until the official Pinup Girl Contest started around 2:00 p.m..

Among those competing were gals who made their own pinup wardrobes and rocked just about every kind of vintage pinup style, from glam to rockabilly. Some even dabbled or have worked in the hot rod industry.

Introduced in a mass group, each lady was given stage time to strut her stuff and prove to the judges just why they were deserving of a first-place prize. The top three girls walked away with cold-hard cash and custom sashes.

We had an absolutely great time at the Hot Rods & Hawgs event, so much so that we can’t wait to see it again next year!

For more sites from the event, be sure to check out the Rod Authority photo gallery below. And be sure to check back soon as we dive even deeper into some of these awesome rides!