Jason Ash, of Lawrence, coasts through the Art Tougeau Parade Saturday morning strapped into the Surfbike, which supported Margaret Perkins-McGuinness, also of Lawrence. Participants in the parade displayed mobile works of art along a downtown loop, which led to an after-parade block party on 10th Street later in the afternoon.

The outside of Rich and Pam Molden’s 79-year-old truck looks like the inside of an antique store.

On the wooded sideboards hang antlers, wash buckets and rusty lanterns. Interspersed with the goods are what Rich Molden describes as hundreds of “words of wit and wisdom.”

But be careful, some of the collectibles come with tricks. Such as a certain key on the typewriter that triggers squirting water above it.

“It’s not miles per gallon, but smiles per miles,” said Rich Molden, who sports a white beard and was dressed in overalls and a red shirt Saturday afternoon.

The owners and their truck – dubbed the Da Kuntry Pedlur – call Bellevue, Neb., home. They were in town Saturday for the annual Art Tougeau Parade.

Da Kuntry Pedlur was among the vehicles gathering stares, finger pointing and smiles Saturday as they looped through downtown. There was the roving disco party with the fur-lined limo and a boat-shaped car with a hot tub in back.

One car painted as a fish pulled a canoe full of young children. And except for the wheels on the bottom, another car could have passed for a boat. Its motor blew bubbles in the back and its driver wore a life jacket.

There was the small beige car wearing glasses and smoking a cigar. Cars were covered in fabric, popcorn, chalkboard and bottle caps.

But the art wasn’t all about the automobiles. Bikes were decorated with solar systems and people in costume. A trio of bikers banged on rhythm instruments, one the shape of a corn cob.

One of the toughest bikes to peddle was manned by Jason Ash.

The front and back of the bike separated to support a surf board on top. Margaret Perkins-McGuinness – all-around parade-lover and this year’s queen of the St. Patrick’s Day Parade – balanced on the board in a wetsuit making surfer poses.

Below was Ash powering the bike, horizontally stretched out. His hand held onto the front of the bike, and his feet peddled in the back.

The five blocks downhill on Massachusetts Street weren’t so bad, Ash said. It was the incline up New Hampshire Street that was a killer.

Even after the awards ceremony, Ash said he was tired.

Saturday marked the 11th Art Tougeau Parade in Lawrence, a spring tradition started in 1997.

Close to 30 automobiles made their appearance downtown, and more than 50 people rode on bikes, said Richard Backus, one of the parade organizers.

“The philosophy is very simple: individual expression, mobile art,” Backus said.

Art car shows like the one in Lawrence have exploded in the past decade, he said.

For the Moldens, Saturday’s parade is just one of several events they have attended.

The week before, the couple went to an art car show in Houston, where they won the participant’s choice award.

Although Molden likes to tell people he bought the 1928 AA Ford truck brand-new, don’t believe him.

Molden is 65 and actually purchased it a few years ago at an auction for $350.

“I’ve had offers a 100 times that much for it,” Molden said.

When looking to decorate the car, Molden said he searches for vintage items.

“I want things young people don’t know about and that bring back memories in older people of days gone by,” he said.