Southrnfresh 8 Coverage

September 17, 2019 Joseph Dale 920 Views

Finally months later I get a chance to put together photos from Southrnfresh 8. First of all I would like to thank Justin (Black) for getting some good photos of the event. I had a good amount, but I rushed through it trying to get as much as I can. And I did not get a chance to fully photograph IT how I wanted to. Not sure why every year I attempt to, but I have never been satisfied with the photos I take of my own event.

This years event was a big deal for me because we were able to return to Jim R. Miller Park. The only problem with it was the date being in July and it being a month after my wedding. Typically I have things set up and worked out a month before the event. But with the early date being right after my wedding it was really stressful up until it was finally done.

Last year we had a good turnout , but the location being so far outside of the city combined with the weather attendance was down. This year we still got hit with some rain, but people were more willing to brave the weather because it was not so far away from the city. Last year I tried to add a few things to the event, that just ended up costing more money, but did nothing for the event. This year we kept the format simple like we had in the past.

I am not sure if I am getting old or I am just getting tired of certain things, but at one point I was looking to elevate the Southrnfresh event , but a lot of that has been done by many others over the years. And it has slowly worn out the roots of this whole culture.

The more i push to change it , and complicate it, the more it wears on me. Its a fight to stay relevant but stay true to what you all love about Southrnfresh. I try to be consistent with what is presented here and keep the foolish stuff out of sight. So that the newer generation , and any outsiders view our culture as a real group of enthusiasts.

I am beyond thankful to be still relevant and have people that care to come to our events, and continue to keep up with the site. But its a struggle to stay afloat and fight through the stuff that is put in our faces and camouflaged as our culture. I am excited to see how our culture has evolved and changed people’s lives and enabled some to feed their families.

There are several times throughout the year that I question to continue SF in this format. I have been doing the same process for so long , I am not sure there is any other way. Truth is a website will never get the traffic as social media.

But I do feel that websites have retained a bit more value for being seen. The social media posts are thrown in your face by algorithms that make sure you see what they want you to see instead of what you really like.

I look at blogs and online publications like museums or time machines, that deliver what you want with information and stories to go with it. Out of the hundreds of posts that we scroll through on social media there may be a handful of things that you see that truly interests you.

I remember years ago, when the magazine industry took a big hit and everyone pointed the finger at the blogs and websites for ruining it. The industry had levels of growth from a guy doing a blog to head editor for a major magazine. At some point the bloggers were working so hard to keep their online audiences happy it ruined magazine features. I mean it takes months for magazines to actually get published from when the content is actually photographed.

The end game is to be in print to show off your build. But there was a time when a online feature was a huge deal. And you could gather all the information you needed from that one feature. It was so bad that they would not allow the car to be photographed or posted until the magazine feature was in print. So we would shoot cars, and almost wait a year before we could post it.

I feel like we are hitting that transition again where a site like this is something of the past. And it just cant keep anyone’s attention enough to compete with the social media pages. Where you can scroll through hundreds of pages in minutes and get your fix. Now it feels like this is a dying form of expression.

Change is not always a bad thing, it just forces people to change and evolve. I am thankful to be able to still provide content after so many years. And thankful to the people that continue to support Southrnfresh.com.

The support we have received from local businesses over the years has been amazing, and it has built our foundation. Every since our Southrnfresh sunday events in 2009 we always wanted to promote local businesses. I always knew that in order for our scene to thrive we had to keep our local dollar strong. Most of the owners are true enthusiasts themselves that took a risk at starting their own business because they love the automotive scene.

I always wanted people to understand that we do not always have to run online or shop out west to get the best price or service. When you support your local automotive business you help the scene more then you know it. When local automotive businesses thrive, they are more willing to be more active and more willing to support the local scene in return.

Leading up to 2020, it is crazy to see the amount of events that are no longer being held here. No one can seem to figure how to get us to their shows. They host a indoor show and we dont want to be trapped inside. They host a quality over quantity show and we dont want to be judged. They come with all the hype and we frown at all the hype. I dont know how or why its like that here.. but hopefully someone can figure it out. Dont give up on us….haha

I am extremely grateful and honored to have the amazing support from the community here. In the months leading up to the event, you never really know who is going to attend, and if anyone truly cares anymore. But in the end you all continue to come through and support us without any hesitation.

Southrnfresh 9 in 2020 we hope to continue the tradition at Jim R. Miller Park, and finally get some decent weather. Again I cant say it enough thank you for the support..