What is Syncro de Mayo?

Syncro de Mayo is an annual three-day festival for enthusiasts of the Volkswagen (T-3) Vanagon Syncro, a four-wheel drive van made in limited numbers between 1985 and 1992.*

The event is held at a private, gated campground among trees and grass at the Hollister Hills SVRA, outside of Hollister, California. There are 25 miles of off-road trails, an obstacle course, hill climbs and spectacular views accessible from camp.

The event draws 50-80 syncros - over 100 people - and consists of numerous activities, as listed on the Home page.

From the beginning, Syncro de Mayo has been an incubator for privateer syncro innovations and inventions. It is also a great way for syncronauts to off-road together and to improve their driving skills. But in the end, it's all about having fun. And for many years now, Syncro de Mayo has been the most fun, exciting and down-to-earth syncro event in the United States.

Who Puts On Syncro de Mayo

Syncro de Mayo is put together each year by a group of volunteer Syncronauts organized through SYNCRO.ORG, with the vital assistance of generous sponsors who donate prizes and cash. If you would like to be a volunteer, please visit the Volunteers page.

A Short History of Syncro de Mayo

Syncro de Mayo began in the spring of 2000 when SYNCRO.ORG organized a gathering of syncro nauts for a weekend of camping, off-roading and related fun. The first event was planned as a get together primarily for testing prototype coil springs, but the planning soon expaneded well beyond that limited purpose. Twelve vans attended the first gathering.

The next year, in 2001, attendance doubled, and the first pot-luck dinner was held, starting a tradition that continues to this day. Shortly after the second event in 2001, the name "Syncro de Mayo" was coined by friend Amir, and was thereafter adopted as the event name. The third event in 2002 was the beginning of accelerating popularity for Syncro de Mayo.

In 2003, a New York Times reporter covered the event and wrote a story about it that made the front page of the automovive section . In 2004, the Car Talk Guys on NPR had a good laugh over Syncro de Mayo when a caller from Alaska with a syncro question brought up the evet. That year, we had guests from Canada, South Africa, France, Germany and 12 states. By 2005, the event had become know around the country and around the world.

Like all great events, Syncro de Mayo always feels the same, like you never left, yet it is ever-changing and improving. This year will be the thirteenth anniversary.

* See SYNCRO.ORG for more information about Syncros.
** Photo of white Syncro by Coyote of Vanagon.com on the way to the first event.