What began as a tribute to a late husband’s love of cars and motorcycles has grown into one of Gustine’s signature downtown events, drawing families, classic car enthusiasts and local businesses together for a cause rooted in healing.

Bernie Medeiros founded Motors on Main after her husband’s passing, saying she wanted to honor his passions while finding her own path through grief. “Bringing something back that he loved was part of my healing process,” she said.

The event quickly became more than a car show. Medeiros partnered with Jessica’s House, a grief‑support organization that helped a family friend after the loss of her husband and the father of her three children. Wanting to give back, she built Motors on Main around both remembrance and community support. “I thought this would be a good way to memorialize my husband and give back to Jessica’s House and to the community,” she said.

Medeiros said she sees her husband’s spirit in the music, the crowds and the rows of hot rods and motorcycles lining Main Street. The event has also become a family effort, with her children, her husband’s relatives and a committee of close friends helping organize it each year.

Part of the show’s appeal, she said, is how accessible it is. Admission is free, and families can enjoy vendors, food trucks and live music while strolling a closed‑off Main Street. “It’s just a fun day,” Medeiros said. “Your friends are here, the music’s great, and it’s a fun little day in town.”

Classic cars remain the centerpiece, and Medeiros said car culture naturally brings families out together. That broad appeal has helped Motors on Main evolve into a downtown tradition that benefits local businesses as well. She recalled the first year, when shops were still recovering from the pandemic. “It was huge for the businesses,” she said. “Everybody was surviving on a shoestring.”

The event has drawn more than 100 cars in strong years, though weather has occasionally reduced turnout. Last year’s cold, rainy forecast kept many classic car owners home, dropping participation to about 60 vehicles. Still, the event has grown enough to spill beyond Main Street into nearby lots and side streets.

Medeiros acknowledged the stress behind the scenes — lining up vendors, coordinating logistics and watching the weather with dread. “Every year, it’s like pins and needles,” she said.

Even with challenges, Motors on Main has delivered on its original promise. Medeiros said the event has raised about $100,000 for Jessica’s House over four years. Now, she hopes to expand its impact by supporting more local needs, including scholarships and downtown improvements. “We plan to still support Jessica’s House, but we will also be focusing on how we can help more locally as well,” she said.

She credits groups like the West Side Auto Club for helping the event grow, sharing contacts and momentum. Medeiros, who also runs a catering business and two Arizona businesses, said Motors on Main remains a labor of love.

What she hopes people take away each year is simple: a good day together. “I want families to feel they had a great time,” she said — and to know the event was built from loss, but now lifts an entire town.

For those interested in entering a vehicle, Medeiros said sign‑ups are available through the event’s Instagram link, by text or by calling her directly.