It was billed as the 2007 Conejo Valley Days Kickoff Picnic and Classic Car Show, but Saturday's event that drew throngs of visitors to the front lawn of the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza had much more to do with venerable vehicles than it did with having a picnic.

The hot dog vendors at the picnic did do a booming business, however, and those who wanted more variety could have hiked to the Thousand Oaks Elks Lodge barbecue on nearby Conejo School Road or visited restaurants in The Lakes complex next door.

Now that the picnic-car show is history, Conejo Valley Days will shift into full throttle next Sunday with the Chili Cook-off at Conejo Creek Park South, followed later in the week by numerous activities and attractions during the May 2-6 carnival and festival at the same location.

Saturday's kickoff also offered a Badgeroo booth where Dan Johnson tossed out reminders of the big Badgeroo Contest planned for the carnival's opening night May 2.

"People can buy and sell old CVD badges there," Johnson said. "Contestants will get points for the various badges they have. The winner will get a blue ribbon and this star," he said, holding up a CVD sheriff's badge.

One of the stars of the car show was a showroom-fresh tan 1950 Hudson Commodore proudly displayed by Bill and Marge Mott of Simi Valley.

"Look at this," said Bill Mott as he opened the rear door of the sedan. "You step down as you enter. It was the only car built that way. Look at that seat. You can seat four adults comfortable there and three in front."

Near the Hudson, Wallace Friedman's sleek 1973 red Mercedes 450SL, drew photographers. That was partially because Friedman, in his first car show, was leaning well back in his front seat as though he was about to take a nap. Staying alert, however, was his white poodle, Pierre, calmly watching everyone who approached the vehicle.

Gary and Nathalie Rubin of Thousand Oaks didn't have a classic car to show off, but they had Bernie, a large, cuddly, 4-month-old Bernese mountain dog. The big puppy got his share of oohs and aahs.

"Gary likes car shows, and I'm here because I know some of the Rotarians here," Nathalie Rubin said. "I bought one of their raffle tickets.

The Rotary Club of Conejo Valley gave away a $35,000 Lexus later in the afternoon to benefit the Westminster Free Clinic in Thousand Oaks. Tickets had been available at $100 each. The name of the winner and amount raised for the charity were not available Saturday.

A few feet away from Bernie, Chery Morton of Thousand Oaks described her and husband Robert's 1957 bronze Ford Thunderbird to Shari Weiner of Los Angeles. Weiner, who said her father-in-law owned the same model, said one of the reasons she came to the CVD kickoff was because she and her daughter are volunteers at the Westminster Free Clinic.

"We work at the clinic from 5:30 to 10 o'clock Wednesday nights," Weiner said. "It does a wonderful service, usually treating about 80 patients a night, and all the people there, including doctors, are volunteers."

Lynn Miller, co-chairman of the picnic-car show, said attendance this year was probably the best in the history of the event.

"It's all the more surprising because there are so many other things going on today, including the Scandinavian Festival, a home show and, also Arbor Day activities," he said.

Miller said the kickoff used to be held six weeks before the other CVD events.

"That was too long," he said. "Now we do everything in three weeks. That's more likely to get people in tune with CVD and the community spirit that goes along with it."