Ink & Iron 2012 at the Queen Mary

After all the fun of the Camaro Show last Saturday, I decided to head out to the Ink-N-Iron Festival at the Queen Mary on Sunday. I had never been to the event before, so I figured I should check it out. Ink-N- Iron Festival is a weekend festival that features punk rock, a tattoo convention and classic car show.

Hanging out with one of the performers and the winner of the pinup contest.

 The Ink & Iron Festival attracted all sorts of people to the Queen Mary. The event had two stages which featured bands all day long. In addition to the music, there were plenty of classic cars parked everywhere. Classic cars from local car clubs surrounded the stages and vendors.

Vehicles from the Long Beach Motorama were also on view. Cars from the Motorama were parked inside the dome. The Motorama does attract a lot of nice vehicles from all over the west coast. There was plenty of candy paint and white wall tires on display.

This was a nice display on the way into the show. The Hall of Fame honored some of the most influential builders, painters and designers from the past. Each display had a photo of the person and an example of the tool that they used to create custom cars.

 Ink & Iron did provide plenty of people watching and a lot of events to see. There were rows and rows of vendors showcasing art, clothing, and much more.

 There was plenty of action taking place outside of the Queen Mary, but just as much happening on board the ship. The Queen Mary was home to the "Ink" portion of the event. All three floors of the convention space were filled with tattoo artists from all over the world. There was definitely a buzz in the air as 100's of people were getting tattooed all at the same time.

 In addition to the vintage clothing expo and art show, there was a tattoo contest. This is where the brave showcase their tattooed bodies to a panel of judges in order to win prizes in a variety of classes. There were also magic acts and burlesque performances throughout the day.

3 floors of tattooing

 There were plenty of traditional style hot rods and motorcycles at the show.

 A Cadillac on the lawn of the Drive-In Side Stage

A view from the Queen Mary.

Late in the day, the festival hosted a pinup pageant for local women who appreciate the nostalgic lifestyle. The event attracted a lot of people and a few lovely ladies from the Southern California area.

Free Hats!

The highlight of the show for me was a performance by Face to Face. This punk rock band from Southern California has my favorite band since high school, so I had to stick around and watch their set on Sunday night.

Check back next week as I will be at the LA Roadsters Show in Pomona with the rest of the California Car Cover crew.