LAKE HAVASU CITY – In an event that started with just 18 VW “Buses” 28 years ago, it has now grown to an annual gathering of up to 850 such vehicles. Loving owners travel from as far away as New York, Florida, and Mexico to camp out in and display their rigs over four days at Lake Havasu State Park.
The founder of “Buses by the Bridge” is John Howard. He says when the event moved to the state park, where it is now, participation grew rapidly.
“We maybe had a hundred and fifty buses, something like that, that first year at the park. It went great. We left the park cleaner than it ever was. The state people were happier than heck for us. And then, as it evolved, our biggest year was “pre-Covid”, we had 8 hundred and fifty buses here. We’ve been averaging 6 to 7 hundred each year overall. This year, we had a couple drive all the way from New Jersey in their bus.”
The local group that presents the VW bus show has a very interesting, yet appropriate name and the proceeds of the event are donated to children’s activities throughout Lake Havasu City.
Howard said, “It’s called ‘London Bridge Bullies’. We’re NOT mean people but in Germany the buses are called “Bullies”, that’s their name, you know. Right now, we’re donating 60 thousand dollars, plus or minus, each year. We’re up to, I know our donations so far are over 7 hundred and fifty thousand dollars over the years, you know.”
Exhibitors come from far and wide to display their restoration and maintenance handiwork, many who have had a “love affair” with the VW “buses”, as they are commonly called, for a long time. Dana Walker fits the mold of, proud “bus” owners.
“When I was a kid, I always wanted one, couldn’t afford one, so I’ve been looking for about 60 years, I think it’s been, and I finally found one about four years ago. And I found a guy to haul it back to South Dakota, to Sturgis, where I live. I started taking it apart, starting fixing things. My wife and I have been coming out here to Lake Havasu for about five or six years, just driving out here and looking at the “buses”, and this year I decided it was time to bring mine up here.”
The video story of this years’ “Buses by the Bridge” may be found at www.thestandardnewspaper.online.
Allen Scott
