How can you BYOB?/A brief history of the event!

BYOB is a lot of things.. First and foremost it's a 3 day van-in.. That's the priority!

But.. over the years we've tried to introduce different elements to make it radder and killer place to find cool stuff for sale ( van parts, leather and jewelry, vintage, etc ) and cool ORIGINAL music! And even cool tattoos!

So who can attend BYOB?

Vanners. Goes without saying. Vanners can do three separate options-
a. The whole event- (two night camping stay) Fri 11:00am -Sun noon $78.00 pre-reg per vehicle (stuff in as many friends as you want)

b. 1/2 event- (one night camping stay) Sat 11:00am -Sun noon $39.00 pre-reg per vehicle (stuff in as many friends as you want)

c. Single day event ( no camping ) Sat 11:00am-10:00pm, this option can be used if you only want to enter your van in the van show Saturday or for whatever other reason can only be out there one day. $25.00 pre-reg per vehicle (stuff in as many friends as you want)

2. Visitors ( any type of vehicle ) who want to see our bands Saturday, Check out our vendors Saturday or check out the vans and vanshow Saturday. This is also the best option for vendors without a van that are camping. $25.00 pre-reg per vehicle ( stuff in as many friends as you want )

** important things to note-

You can also pay at the gate but it is more than the preregistration price. (please pre-register, it makes everybody's life easier)
Only vans camp, no exceptions.
Our Saturday visitors need to leave by 10:00 PM no exceptions

***side note*** when I say stuff in as many friends as you want that could be literal or figurative. #ThatsWhatSheSaid #ThatsWhatHeSaid #Thatsvannin

Now …..some of you may be wondering what is the backstory of BYOB? And whether you’re really interested or not I’m going to tell you!

BYOB technically started with a very different name, “Do it in the Desert” . In 2014 that was California Street vans first overnight event that we had put on. The event was at Mojave oasis in Newberry Springs, California. Most people who have been around a second have been to Mojave oasis when it was a functional tiki themed camping spot. It was a fairly remote destination, and you really were in the middle of nowhere… but the place was set up really nice, at least one huge tiki bar, multiple ponds …a track for small engine vehicles…. And then of course, open desert with no fences..,,, the kind of shit you dreamed about when you were a kid! We beat the crap out of some minibikes that weekend, did outdoor movies at night…. Did I mention all the fun on the mini bikes? lol

Needless to say after our first do it in the desert adventure, we were fucking stoked on doing it again… we prepared for that in 2015 … we found out kind of out of a blue that the entire site had been wrecked… strip of copper, all the normal Tweaker shit. We were bummed! We did a last second expedition up to lake Isabella which we called “do it at the river” using the same spot the gypsy Vanners usually use for camping. It was fun and once again some minibikes got that shit beat out of them.

Booooo Never happened!

But it came back! hahah

We kept working on locations for a long-term overnight van-in and in 2016 we did the first BYOB in Anaheim, California. I’ll be the first person to admit that Orange County California does not have the same romance as driving out to the middle of the desert to put on an event but man it is a lot easier to run a local event plan a local event and much easier for people to drive to a local event. BYOB will likely never move from the location It’s at now and that’s OK. Matter fact, it’s fine just like BYOB 9!

BYOB has some similarities and differences to other van events- one of the differences I’m most proud of and we’ve been doing since day one is live original music. as a lifelong original musician, I was really stoked to get that part of the event going and off the ground. Not only is it original music, it is original music provided by Van Homies. In almost all cases, at least one member of every band is a vanner. I’ve deviated a little bit with that here and there, but I’ve tried to stay true to it because this event is for Vanners by Vanners.

I’m also proud that we have grown BYOB to a fairly large infrastructure without ever allowing outside sponsorship. Once again …. for Vanners by Vanners. The way I see it is keep it homegrown or fuck off.

We had already been involved in some pretty big van swaps so that’s how our vendor section started at BYOB and eventually incorporated other types of makers …..leather…. jewelry, etc. We have a lot of other random cool stuff that is handmade that you won’t find just anywhere. BYOB is a sick place to buy from your friends. I think I borrowed the on-site tattoo idea from the pilgrimage. ( actually as I’ve been contemplating this that is not accurate.. I got the idea when I got tattooed in a van at one of the gypsy runs in 2014 or 15 ) I am covered in Van event Memorial tattoos from various van runs over the last 11 years! Wouldn’t have it any other way.

Even as we are preparing for BYOB nine I’m already thinking about BYOB ten. It’s amazing to think we’ve been putting on this event that long!

Anyhow, enough out of me for now-

Yah bud/

Jim T