The perpetual hum of activity in and around Cambria’s Pinedorado grounds is ramping up again, as members of Cambria’s Lions Club and other groups prepare for the 2012 edition of the traditional Labor Day weekend event, complete with Saturday parade—including the pioneer Soto family as marshals and the returning 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing Band— plus a free Saturday afternoon Marine band concert, a free Sunday car-and-bike show, a free live-music afternoon on Monday and all the accoutrements expected by faithful participants.

The theme of Cambria’s 64th annual Pinedorado is “The Good Ole Days.”

Car show

Car show Chairman Nate Fearonce said Monday, Aug. 6, that those who want to enter a vehicle in one of the 20 classifications for the car show still can do so (forms are at the Cambria Chamber of Commerce, 767 Main St., or online at www.pinedorado.com. Entry is $40.)

Fearonce said there are 100 cars entered in the show so far, with a maximum of 150 allowed. “And this will be one of the rare times when there’ll be two 1948 Thames panel trucks (English Fords) in the same show,” he said, along with a 2005 GTO (Australian Holden) and a 1961 supercharged Corvair Rampside pickup.

Parade and carnival

However, registration for parade entries is closed, according to Parade Chairman Pete De Bruin. There are 68 entries in the lineup, including four marching bands (the Marines and three high schools), other musical groups, floats, marchers, clowns, motorized entries and more.

More than 20 members of the Soto family are expected to ride in the parade. Pioneer members of the family arrived in California as early as 1769 as part of the expedition under Spanish explorer Gaspar de Portola and Father Junipero Serra, and Cipriano Soto was working at the Hearst Ranch in San Simeon by approximately 1886.

Pinedorado Chairman Greg Wilson said Aug. 1 that the Marine band, which also plays in the Rose Bowl parade, will lead the Pinedorado procession. Once again, the Lions are working with American Legion Post No. 432 to accomplish the musical coup of having such a prestigious musical group in Cambria.

The band also will give a free concert at 2:30 p.m. Saturday in the Veterans Memorial Building’s parking lot.

Although the Marine band doesn’t charge for its performances, costs to bring the members here are steep, running upwards of $12,000 for transportation, lodging, meals and more, Wilson estimated.

The parade is to start in East Village at 9:30 a.m. Once it ends, the Pinedorado carnival area will open, complete with barbecue and other meals and snacks, games, the classical rides for little kids, beer, wine and lots of socializing. Wilson said one new entrée on the 2012 menu will be steak sandwiches.

Take a Marine to dinner

The Lions and Legion again are sponsoring a fundraising “take a Marine to dinner” event Friday, Sept. 1, with a choice of steak or salmon entrée. Get tickets, $75 each, from Legion Commander Terry Farrell. Call him at 924-1814 or email to

terryfarrell@charter.net. Veterans Memorial Building doors open at 5:30 p.m.

It takes a village

Once again, Pinedorado will be a village-wide event, with support and participation from many individuals and nonprofit and service groups. “It takes them all to put this on,” Wilson said, and their efforts make it possible for Lions to donate more than $6,000 to those groups in 2012, along with the other community donations the Lions make throughout the year.

There are some related events, such as: The American Field Service’s 20th annual 5k fun run, starting at 7 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 1; waffle breakfast from 7 to 10 a.m. Saturday at the Joslyn Recreation Center; and bingo from 1 to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, and 1 to 4 p.m. Monday in the vets hall.

Raffle drawings will be held all weekend, with hundreds of prizes, including two grand prizes: An original Sally Seago painting and a $500 gift certificate.

Monday is locals’ day, Wilson said, and from noon to 2 p.m., the Snake Oil Salesman musicians are to bring their homemade instruments, comedy and variety show to the Pinedorado grounds. From 2 p.m. on, Jill Knight and her group of great local musicians are scheduled to perform, wrapping up another fall holiday weekend’s worth of Pinedorado memories.