Big Beepin’ car show celebrated the Valley’s automotive soul through community, history and chrome

By Michelle Edgar 

Valley Relics Museum and Beeps Diner teamed up for first annual family friendly event honoring San Fernando Valley culture. The rumble of classic engines, the shine of chrome and the spirit of the San Fernando Valley came together as the inaugural Big Beepin’ Car Show rolled into Van Nuys for a celebration rooted as much in community as it is in car culture.

Hosted by the Valley Relics Museum in partnership with Beeps Diner, the free family friendly event aimed to honor the Valley’s deep automotive legacy while spotlighting two longstanding local institutions working together to preserve and celebrate neighborhood identity.

For Tommy Gelinas, founder and curator of the Valley Relics Museum, the event represented more than a traditional car show. “This is about celebrating the history of the Valley and bringing the community together. It is two local organizations supporting each other and creating something that gives back to the people here,” said Gelinas.

Beeps Diner, a Valley staple since 1956, was originally founded by Sharkey before eventually being purchased in 1981 by Josephine and Tim Rowley Sr. Their son, Tim Rowley Jr., who has begun taking on a larger leadership role in the business, approached the museum about collaborating on an event that would strengthen the diner’s ties to the community while also highlighting the culture and history that define the San Fernando Valley.

The result is the first annual Big Beepin’ Car Show, that brought together between 200 and 400 attendees throughout the day. The event featured classic hot rods, lowered cars, live music and local vendors in an atmosphere intentionally designed to be inclusive and family-oriented.

While admission to the car show itself was free, entrance fees to the museum remain an important part of sustaining the nonprofit institution’s mission of preserving local pop culture history and educating future generations about the Valley’s cultural identity. Over the years, Valley Relics Museum has become one of the region’s most unique cultural destinations, housing artifacts and memorabilia that capture the evolving story of the San Fernando Valley. In addition to museum admissions, the venue has also become a popular event space, hosting roughly 50 weddings over the last seven years along with birthday parties and private gatherings.

Gelinas noted that events like Big Beepin’ are critical to helping the museum continue operating and expanding its outreach efforts. “We want this to become a long-term tradition. Our Christmas charity car show with The Wild Bunch car club is now in its ninth year, and we would love to see this grow into something just as meaningful for the community,” said Gelinas.

The museum recently generated significant public attention after acquiring the historic Valley Plaza sign, another example of its broader mission to preserve iconic pieces of Valley history. For organizers, the partnership between this local diner and a nonprofit museum reflected a broader vision of community collaboration at a time when many neighborhoods are searching for ways to reconnect through shared cultural experiences.