Heartbeat Happening Car Show at Bates

A classic car show is coming back to Bates Nut Farm on Sunday, April 26, with cars on display from 9 a.m. into the afternoon. (visitvalleycenter.com) The event is scheduled at Bates Nut Farm, 15954 Woods Valley Road in Valley Center, and Bates lists the show for April 26 with free parking and free admission. (batesnutfarm.biz, visitvalleycenter.com) Bates says the car show runs from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., while the farm’s main events calendar lists it from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.; a separate San Diego Association of Car Clubs listing gives 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and says vehicle pre-registration is $30, or $35 the day of the show. (batesnutfarm.biz, batesnutfarm.biz, sandiegoassociationofcarclubs.org) The show is part of a larger spring weekend at Bates. The farm’s events calendar lists a Spring Festival Arts, Crafts & Vintage Market on April 25 and April 26, giving the car show a built-in crowd beyond auto enthusiasts. (batesnutfarm.biz) That mix has been part of the Bates formula for years. A 2013 Valley Roadrunner preview of the Heartbeat Happening described the car show as the centerpiece of a spring shopping day with handmade vendors and family activities at the farm. (valleycenter.com) The event also appears to have broadened over time. A 2009 San Diego Union-Tribune car calendar item said Heartbeat Happening was limited to pre-1973 American-made vehicles, while the 2026 San Diego Association of Car Clubs listing says it is open to all years, makes and models. (sandiegouniontribune.com, sandiegoassociationofcarclubs.org) Current listings describe trophies, dash plaques and a craft show, and Bates says visitors can pair the car viewing with vendor shopping at the farm. (sandiegoassociationofcarclubs.org, visitvalleycenter.com) For Valley Center, that means one more spring Sunday when Bates functions as both a destination market and an event grounds — with chrome, food and shoppers all sharing the same stretch of Woods Valley Road. (batesnutfarm.biz, visitvalleycenter.com)