Top five indoor car events to get you through the winter blues
We’re fully entrenched in the lull of winter, and car nuts everywhere are already getting antsy for another summer filled with memorable drives, shows and swap meets. Depending on where you are, or on how far you are willing to travel, you might not have to wait for the clearing of salt and snow from the roads before you can get your next fix. Mark your calendars: Here are five of our favorite indoor winter events.
Auto Mania: Pennsylvania’s largest heated indoor swap meet takes place Jan. 15-17 in the Agricultural Hall at the Allentown, Pa., Fairgrounds. Since 1992, the 59,000-sq.-ft. facility has played host to a massive swap meet and car corral — a great place to buy, sell and trade anything automotive-related. If you are the type of hobbyist who is always on the hunt for a rare part or automobilia, this is the place for you.
Winter Rod and Speed Show: On Jan. 22-23 at the Linn County Fair and Expo Center in Albany, Ore., the cars are the stars: the world famous Batmobile replica, the Double Trouble twin-engine roadster, the original Pretty Boy Floyd Mob car and the World’s Fastest Ford Vic will all be on display, along with hundreds of other customs. Other activities include the pinstripe pavilion, the Oregon Ducks NASCAR simulator and the valley’s largest and best model car contest. Free Hot Wheels are being offered for the first 100 children through the door, and best of all, when you attend this event you are also supporting a good cause; this show benefits the Children’s Cancer Association. Click here to find out more.
Motorama: It’s where people with a need for speed gather to get their fix and celebrate everything race car. Mark your calendars for Feb. 20-21 and head out to the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex in Harrisburg, Pa., to see hundreds of authentic drag cars, sprint cars, outlaws and late-model cars. Motorama’s indoor arenacross offers 8,800 seats for nonstop edge-of-your-seat racing action all weekend long. There is also Go-Kart racing and an RC demolition derby. Click here to get your adrenaline pumping.
Race and Performance Expo: It’s time to gear up for the 9th annual Race and Performance Expo that takes place on Feb. 20-21 at the Renaissance Schaumburg Convention Center in Schaumburg, Ill. If you are into high-performance vehicles and racing, this is the place for you. Over 100,000 square feet of state-of-the-art performance products will leave you in awe, and seminars led by industry experts will give you all the knowledge that your brain can handle on a Saturday. Their swap meet allows for once-a-year unbeatable pricing and the car builder’s showcase oozes with talent that you don’t want to miss. Click here for more information.
World of Wheels, Cavalcade of Customs and Autorama: It’s known as America’s premier indoor custom show car series for a reason: Once you walk through the doors, you won’t want to blink. In fact, you may start to get shaky and begin to salivate unexpectedly as you gaze down the many aisles of pristine customs. Indoor events take place in Ohio, Pennsylvania, Indiana, Montana, Texas, Louisiana, Wisconsin, Michigan, Utah, Illinois, Nebraska, Massachusetts, and there are even two events in Canada. Click here for show dates and location specifics.
As an honorable mention because the date has already passed, the East Coast Indoor Nationals at the Timonium Fairgrounds in Maryland is something to put on your calendar for next year. This all-American car and motorcycle show offers drool-worthy customs, spine-tingling hot rods and rip-roaring muscle cars. Every year, make and model is welcome to be on display, as long as it is American-made.
Which winter indoor car event(s) do you recommend? Please share in the comments below, and if you have an epic story to tell, https://www.hagerty.com/yourstories is the place to go!
