Ink-N-Iron

Seems like most everyone either knows someone or has a tattoo themselves nowadays. What draws us to getting ink could be a number of things—some like the lifestyle, some have it commemorate a special event, but all would agree that a good ink job looks pretty cool. And what goes well with tattoos? Well, hotrods and hot women, of course. Enter the Ink-N-Iron festival held annually down in the belly of the Queen Mary in Long Beach Harbor in Los Angeles. Here the best tattoo artists, the best hot rod customizers and some beautiful pin-up era women represent 30 states and 25 different countries in a show of ink, burlesque, and hot rod glory, complete with competitions and a pin-up pageant.

Ink-N-Iron Festival - Photo courtesy of Modified4life

The event could be described as one part art show mixed with one part festival, which, in my mind, makes a pretty nice recipe for fun. Even if you’re not into the tattoo thing, it is always a trip to the different style niches of a lifestyle choice: Pinups clad in corsets, Classic Cats with Pompadours, the rough biker look with full tattoo sleeves, the list goes on. Add to that a chance to eat some good food, listen to a range of swing, ska, and rockabilly music, and your leisure time to see what some of the best in the business are doing to hot rod those classic cars of your grandfather’s era, well, sounds like a day well spent.

Ink-N-Iron. June 10th through 12th, aboard the Queen Mary, Long Beach Harbor

- Hudson

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