More than 600 classic cars will line Washington Avenue in Historic Downtown Murrieta on Friday, Oct. 9. The Murrieta Rod Run, a free two-day car show and fundraiser for Oak Grove Center, continues through Saturday, Oct. 10.

The Drifters Car Club, a Murrieta-based volunteer organization with more than 700 members, organizes the event each year. All proceeds go to Oak Grove Center, a Murrieta nonprofit that provides residential treatment and education for at-risk children and youth with special needs.

The weekend opens with Friday's Cruise Night from 4 to 8 p.m., when classic vehicles parade through the downtown district. Saturday's Show & Shine runs from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 24630 Washington Ave., with rows of hot rods, customs, vintage trucks and restored originals on display alongside local businesses and storefronts. Vehicles must be 1980 or older to enter, according to the event listing on iDriveSoCal.

DJ Heyday will provide live music both days. Food vendors and awards are also part of the schedule.

The late Pat Vesey, a former Winchester resident and Ford enthusiast, founded both the Drifters Car Club in the early 1990s and the Murrieta Rod Run, according to the club's website. No club member is paid for event work. The club says the Rod Run generates more than $60,000 in net proceeds for Oak Grove Center.

That giving has added up. At the 2022 Rod Run, described as the 10th annual, organizers presented Oak Grove Center with a check for $63,960 after drawing more than 500 cars and 20,000 spectators, Valley News reported.

Oak Grove Center, founded in 1989, operates a Level 12 residential treatment facility on its Murrieta campus serving up to 76 children ages 8 to 18. An additional 90 children and youth with special needs are transported daily from across Riverside County, according to the center's media kit.

Oak Grove CEO Tammy Wilson has said Rod Run proceeds directly fund the center's vocational, culinary and gardening programs.

Wayne Powell, director of the Murrieta Rod Run and ambassador for the Drifters Car Club, is the event's point of contact. Vehicle registration is available at murrietarodrun.com.

Admission is free both days.

Upcoming community events:

• Friday, Oct. 9 – Saturday, Oct. 10: Murrieta Rod Run, Historic Downtown Murrieta, 24630 Washington Ave. Free admission.