This weekend and the next, car and motorcycle enthusiasts will have the opportunity to attend events in Picayune that showcase some of the most awe inspiring and downright beautiful vehicles ever built.

While there are many things to enjoy at today’s Spring Palooza and next weekend’s Street Festival, I tend to head straight for collections of steel, rubber and glass that have, at times, been traversing asphalt and concrete longer than I’ve been alive.

The fact they remain operational means either the original owner cared for it like a child, or a subsequent owner saw something in a rusty pile of steel and utilized resources to revitalize an inanimate object that “spoke” to them.

It’s always interesting to note the features classic cars offered. Some high dollar vehicles of the day featured power windows, power locks and radios that supported now primitive forms of removable media. Remember the days of radios with only four or five white “teeth” that were used to bring the radio dial to a preferred station? As a child I marveled at the technology because at the time it didn’t seem so primitive.

Another form of show vehicle that interests me is the rat rod. These vehicles are not restored to their original glory; instead they have been modified to such a degree some may consider them ugly. Most of the time these vehicles lack beautiful paint jobs in lieu of rust spot retention. But to me, their style is undeniable.

Sometimes, right alongside a good car show is another all time favorite; the motorcycle show. For anyone who has never been on a motorcycle it’s hard to imagine the thrill of the wind in your face and being exposed to the elements. There is something liberating about taking two wheels onto the street at highway speeds; affectionately referred to two-wheeled therapy.

Today you can view several classic cars from the Boulevard Cruisers during the Spring Palooza event at Jack Read Park. Next week the Street Festival will feature both classic cars and motorcycles.