Full September calendar includes 9/11 tributes, car shows, celebrations and Hesperia Days
The September calendar is full of events in the High Desert, including 9/11 memorials, car shows, parades, and celebrations.
Kicking off the month is the 7th annual “Cruisin’ for Cancer” benefit car show from 1 to 9 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 9 at the San Bernardino County Fairgrounds in Victorville.
Considered one of the largest custom car shows in the High Desert, the event will include music, games, raffles, awards, food, beer, kids activities, and more.
Cars start rolling in the fairgrounds at 1 p.m. Outdoor vehicles cruise in from 2 to 4 p.m., and the show is from 4 to 10 p.m. The car show also includes a same-day registration option from 2 to 4 p.m.
“This year, we'll have a Hot Wheels vendor, so if you’re a collector, make sure you stop by this booth,” said organizer ShayneMarckstadt. “We will also have a kid's corner where they can run through a cool BioHazard-themed obstacle course.”
Marckstadt started the Cruisin’ for Cancer car show in honor of his mother, Leslie Lindo Kondrotas, a cancer survivor.
For more information, search “Cruisin for Cancer 7” on Facebook.
Happy Trails Parade, Street Fair, and Car Show
The Happy Trails Parade, Street Fair, and Car Show is scheduled on Saturday, Sept. 9 in The Village in Apple Valley.
The parade begins at 10 a.m. at the corner of Tonikan Road and Outer Highway 18, then travels west to Pawnee Road, left onto Pawnee, and ends at Powhatan Road.
Following the parade, the festivities begin at James Woody Park on Navajo and Powhattan roads.
The park will feature a classic car show and street fair, which will include vendor booths, live music, food, and plenty of activities for all ages.
For more information, visit Facebook.com/AppleValleyVillage or avvillage.org.
Lions Club Car Show
The Apple Valley Lions Club will host its 8th Annual Car Show from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 9 at Church of the Valley.
The event is a fundraiser for hunger and food insecurity charities. The church is located at 20700 Standing Rock Avenue in Apple Valley.
Patriot Day — 9/11
9/11 Remembrance: The United States Veterans Support Group of Barstow will host its “2nd Annual 9/11 Remembrance Celebration Ceremony” at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 9 at Mountain View Memorial Park at 37067 Irwin Road.
9/11 on the Overpass: Organizers of the annual “9/11 on the Overpass” invite the community to bring American flags to wave on the Dale Evans Parkway overpass in Apple Valley. The event is scheduled from 8 to 10 a.m. on Monday, Sept. 11.
9/11 Ceremony: The Academy for Academic Excellence will host a 9/11 Commemorative Ceremony from 8:45 to 10:20 a.m. on Monday, Sept. 11, 2023. The school is located at 17500 Mana Road in Apple Valley.
9/11 Flags of Honor: Earlier this month, Victor Valley College students, staff and community volunteers began placing Flags of Honor on campus in advance of September 11 or Patriot Day.
The nearly 3,000 symbolic Flags of Honor, provided courtesy of the college's ASB, pay tribute to those who died on Sept. 11, 2001. Flags are also placed on the hillside adjacent to the campus library and at the High Desert “United We Stand” monument located next to the college library. Attached to each flag is a hand-written card by students, which includes the name of one of the deceased from the 9/11 tragedy.
The public is invited to the campus through Sept. 12 to view the memorial and pay respects to those who died 22 years ago
9/11 Tribute Dinner: American Legion Post 751 will host a free spaghetti dinner for first responders at 5 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 11, at the post located at 30916 Newberry Road in Newberry Springs. Dinner is $3 for first-responder families and $5 for everyone else. For to-go orders, call 760-257-3173
Hesperia Days
The 74th annual Hesperia Days Parade will travel down Main Street on Saturday, Sept. 16 with a caravan of marching bands, floats, animals, classic vehicles, and plenty of surprises.
Hosted by the Hesperia Recreation and Park District, Hesperia Days is a two-day celebration that begins with a 5K Run, Walk, and Skate at the Percy Bakker Community Center at 9333 E Street. Check-in is 6:15 a.m., with race time at 8 a.m. sharp.
Following the 5K, the Rock'n Our Disabilities Foundation will present the Hesperia Days Parade with the theme “Storybook Wonderland.”
The parade starts at 9 a.m. on Main Street, with the caravan traveling west from Timberlane Avenue/Sultana Street toward “E” Avenue.
After the parade, at 11 a.m., the festivities begin at Hesperia Lake Park at 7500 Arrowhead Lake Road.
A full day of events will include a variety of vendors, food trucks, a Kids Zone, the Great Duck Race and a firework show that begins at sundown.
The All-American Music Festival lineup includes Lonnie and the Lugnuts, Merletallica, The Live Remedy Band, and The Nomads.
For more information on Hesperia Days, visit hesperiaparks.com/hesperia-days-2023. For parade information, visit rocknourdisabilitiesfoundation.org/hesperia-days-parade.
Hesperia Days Rodeo
With the theme "As Good As It Once Was,” the two-day Hesperia Days Rodeo will begin on Saturday, Sept. 16 at the Val Shearer Arena inside Hesperia Lake Park.
The rodeo includes mutton busting, breakaway, team roping, calf roping, saddle bronc, bareback riding, barrel racing, bull riding, chute dogging, dancing, and live music.
Gates to the rodeo open at 1 p.m., with the rodeo starting at 4 p.m. Rodeo entry cost is $15 per person. General parking is $5 Tickets are available online by searching Hesperia Days Rodeo 2023 on Facebook.
San Manuel Pow Wow
The annual three-day San Manuel Pow Wow celebration begins on Sept. 17 at Cal State San Bernardino with Southern California traditional bird singers and dancers.
North American and Canadian dancers and drum singing groups will be in attendance along with artisans representing Indian tribal nations from all across those areas.
The event will include Native American dishes, such as crowd-favorite foods like fry bread. There will also be a diverse array of authentic Native American traditional crafts and fine art available for purchase.
San Manuel will present more than $250,000 in cash prizes, which will be awarded to contestants competing in the Native American dancing and singing competitions.
Since 1996, the San Manuel Pow Wow has remained a celebration of Indigenous cultures and a symbol of Indigenous resiliency–open to all in the spirit of friendship.
The Pow Wow is a sacred space where people from across Indian Country can share their traditions, spirituality and individual style through sounds, motion and art.
Cal State San Bernardino is located at 5500 University Parkway in San Bernardino.
Itinerary and additional information on the Pow Wow can be found at socalpowwow.com.
24th Annual Sheriff’s Rodeo
The 24th Annual San Bernardino County Sheriff’s P.R.C.A Rodeo is scheduled on Friday, Sept. 22 through Sunday, Sept. 24 at Glen Helen Regional Park.
The world’s top professional cowboys and cowgirls will perform bareback and saddle bronc riding, bull riding, steer wrestling, tie-down roping, barrel racing, and team roping.
Keeping the peace, protecting riders and entertaining the crowd will be professional rodeo clown, JJ Harrison.
Friday night’s rodeo is dedicated to raising awareness of domestic violence. The rodeo will be supporting the “Man Up Crusade” with a donation to a local domestic violence shelter. Wear purple to the rodeo – Take A Stand and Break the Cycle of Domestic Violence.
On Saturday, September 23, visitors are asked to wear pink to show support for breast cancer awareness. The rodeo will be donating funds to Loma Linda University Hospital for breast cancer awareness.
A dance follows Friday and Saturday night’s rodeo under the big tent featuring Mike Austin, a country recording artist and former sheriff’s deputy.
Sunday’s rodeo performance is dedicated to military and public safety personnel. A joint honor guard team composed of members from the sheriff’s department and members of the Mounted Color Guard U.S. Marine Corps out of Barstow will be posting the colors, followed by a moment of silence before the start of the event. The Sheriff's Rodeo will be donating to The Cannonball Memorial Run in support of its mission to provide immediate financial support to the survivors of officers killed in the line of duty nationwide.
Another attraction at the rodeo is SEBA Stampede Kids’ Zone, set up with a petting zoo, bounce houses, games and candy. The kids’ zone is sponsored by the Sheriff’s Employees’ Benefits Association (SEBA) which is the union that represents deputies.
“It is so awesome to see so many kids smiling and laughing and running around in the SEBA Stampede Kids’ Zone,” said SEBA President Sgt. Grant Ward. “We love being able to provide this area for families who attend the rodeo so they can have a safe place to bring their kids.”
Gates open at 4 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, and the rodeo starts at 8 p.m. Gates open at 2 p.m. on Sunday, and the rodeo starts at 6 p.m. Attendees can come early and visit food vendors, grab a seat, and relax before the start of the rodeo.
For tickets, directions and more information, visit sheriffsrodeo.com.
Calico Days
Calico Ghost Town's "Calico Days Celebration” on Sept. 23 and 24 will include the Storytellers Band, a prominent Southern California-based progressive bluegrass band.
The band brings soulful harmonies, soaring grooves, and their own hippie, bluegrassy vibe to every live show, organizers said.
Calico Days is a weekend experience revisiting life in the Old West during the 1800s. Organizers line up gunfighting shows and musical entertainment along with other festivities, including a miner’s triathlon, burro race, costume contest, pie-eating contest, and loads of activities for the kiddos.
Calico Ghost Town Regional Park is located at 36600 Ghost Town Road in Yermo.
For times, prices, camping and general information, call 760-254-1123 or visit facebook.com/CalicoGhostTownOfficial.
Apple Valley Reverse Triathlon
The Town of Apple’s Recreation Department will host the annual Reverse Triathlon on Sept. 23, at the Civic Center Park and Aquatic Center at 14955 Dale Evans Parkway.
The event includes the Reverse Triathlon, the Kids Triathlon, and a stand-alone 5K race.
To register and for more information, visit applevalley.org/services/parks-recreation.
This story is developing and more events will be added as information becomes available.
Daily Press reporter Rene Ray De La Cruz may be reached at 760-951-6227 or RDeLaCruz@VVDailyPress.com. Follow him on Twitter @DP_ReneDeLaCruz
This article originally appeared on Victorville Daily Press: September calendar full of events across the High Desert
