Our Two Cents: Favorite Spots For A Car Show
It seems like every city or town now has multiple car shows that service the unique needs of their local car communities. They’re often held at schools, churches, coffee shops, and even at car dealerships. Of course, concours lawns and track paddocks get the job done, too. Shows are usually remarkably easy to find, too, especially if you have a Facebook account and use the Events Near Me feature.
With all the diversity inherent in modern car shows, I wondered what the staff here at Hagerty Media personally like when the time comes for them to get out of the house and interact with others in our world of automobiles. Let’s see what we came up with!
No Thanks
“Anywhere but a car show.” – Stefan Lombard
Small Gatherings With True Believers
“The formula of bringing like-minded car enthusiasts together on an early morning for coffee and conversations was a strong pull for me. My favorite show is one that became a thing thanks to Instagram, became unmanageable because of Instagram, and is now a fun place to grab a coffee and learn more about a wide array of cars from passionate owners of all generations.
The show seems to go on no matter the weather, as many showgoers know that cars don’t melt in the rain. But it rarely gets big enough to make it impossible to chat with the owner of every car in attendance, something that feels more like a rarity these days. It was nice to see that Google Maps memorialized this little show, making something that’s informal into a memorable event for the ages.” – Sajeev Mehta
Race Tracks
“I prefer ‘car shows’ where the vehicles move and I am stationary. So: the end of the back straight at Mid-Ohio, anywhere I can place my ladder and shoot photos in the infield at Daytona, or on the pit wall of any track.” – Eddy Eckart
“You need to come to Woodward Dream Cruise: Park your butt in a lawn chair and watch the show go by.” – Eric Weiner
“I’d be down for that.” – Eddy Eckart
Goodwood Revival/Festival of Speed
“I still have fond memories of the Goodwood Revival, where I was luxuriating in a hospitality suite, champagne flute in hand, while vintage race cars zipped by a mere 25 feet away. It is a fine combination of the Monterey Historics and the Pebble Beach Concours, in one event.” – Joe DeMatio
“I’m with Joe. Goodwood is the answer. I don’t really like car shows, but attending Goodwood Festival of Speed is my all-time favorite car-related experience. I would go every year to both Revival and Festival of Speed if I could.” – Ben Woodworth
“Goodwood Festival of Speed all day. Great mix of awesome/rare to see old stuff that runs, plus whatever new-fangled stuff the OEMs want to peddle, plus general civility with their queues and bacon baps in the morning, etc. etc. 10/10 event.” – Matt Tuccillo
McPherson College C.A.R.S. Show
“The best spot of all is standing in front of Templeton Hall while the cars clear out of the annual McPherson College C.A.R.S Show. Back in the old days, the students would verbally bolster the courage of anyone hesitant about doing burnouts while exiting the show field, usually under the handshake agreement with campus maintenance that said students would come back and remove the evidence the next day.
Now, professor Ed Barr stands out front with a custom sign of his own making that keeps the tire smoke in the tread, but I still go back every year to stand in that spot to enjoy the cars. These days I get to make small talk with Ed while watching the cars. It’s a win/win.” – Kyle Smith
More Race Track Love
“I’m also team race track. I will never forget the experience of walking through the fence at Laguna Seca with my photo vest during the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion and having a screaming V-12 from a 60s Ferrari prototype come screaming past a few feet from me. I didn’t have earplugs in, which was a mistake.
That whole day was incredible, watching cars slide and hustle around a famous track like Laguna. I couldn’t take my eyes away from the action—which eventually cost me my well-being, as I got sick from some combination of adrenaline, excitement, dehydration, and very, very poor nutrition. I’d do it all again in a heartbeat.” – Nathan Petroelje
Monterey Historics
“For me, it has to be the paddock at the Monterey Historics at Laguna Seca. You’ll spot everything from every price range. From as attainable as Austin-Healey Sprites and Triumph TR6s to exclusive as GT40s and vintage Can Am racers. Trek on up to the top of the Corkscrew and you’ll see a fantastic show. Now, I hear the vintage weekend at Road America is pretty epic as well. That is my favorite track to spectate, so I’ll need to get off my butt and attend to see if it becomes my new favorite.” – Greg Ingold
Bonneville Speed Week
“Dry, crusty desert salt beds. You get to watch the sun rise over teams of the most passionate and helpful enthusiasts as they prepare their cars and bikes like they’re about to go to battle.” – James Hewitt
One Person Car Show?
“Best spot for a car show: fourth parking meter down on the left where someone has wedged a bone-stock six-cylinder ‘72 Nova on steelies into the otherwise dull lineup of plastic, all-activity, five-star crash-rated corpuscles. One-car car shows are the absolute best car shows.” – Aaron Robinson
Huntington Beach at the donut shop. Early Sunday morning and very casual. Breaks up mid morning so you don’t lose the whole day.
Oops Saturday mornings
If you want to make friends for the hobby, go to where “real” people are.
I have a simple Sunday breakfast at the only fast food place nearby (we live in the country). My cars get a lot pi f attention, better yet it gives some folks a chance to share their stories.
When I had my Air Force Jeep, A woman asked me about the base shown on the bumper and said she and her late husband lived on bases when they were first married. I got the impression she hadn’t talked about those remembrances in years.
With my brass era roadster, harried moms appreciate a distraction for their kids, and remembering something from their childhood, say it looks like “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang”.
Those times sure beat the one-upmanship and silly prices at some events.
The problem with most “Cars and Coffee” type events is that they start out with a manageable group of enthusiasts but end up getting out of hand. As the organizer, once you nail down a great location, you are then quasi responsible for all of the comings and goings there, as well as the behavior of participants and spectators. I say this from first hand experience, having started a monthly event outside of Austin, Texas with a couple of other car guys. It can get to be hard to manage pretty quickly and not everyone who shows up is on their best behavior. It is fun, but a lot of work for the organizers!
Any event at Watkins Glen in mid to late October. Visit the IMRRC and drive the original road course from 1948.
Just spent last Friday at the Festival Weekend at the Glen with events sponsored by the Stonebridge Drivers Group. Participated in a Roadster Tour strarting at a local state park and ending in town after driving a great scenic tour and a couple of laps on the “Old Course”. Great day including a Concours event with some awesome cars.
Glad you got to do that. I am a huge fan of the Finger Lakes region and Watkins Glen. Our end of the season driving ritual is a mid-week drive to any of the great small towns on the lakes, a picnic, an overnight stay and tucking in the Corvette for the winter. Happy motoring!
Golden Super cruise Sit on sidewalk and watch just about anything with wheels go by
Oops, Saturday mornings. Been a while.
Back to the Fifties in Saint Paul, Minnesota. Over ten-thousand cars none newer than 1964 (that eliminated all Mustangs.) Those mid-west folks spend the long cold winters building great hot rods and/or restoring vintage tractors. The single marque tractor shows like the Orange Spectacular (several hundred Allis-Chalmers tractors)are great as well.
I was visiting my parents in Orinda,Ca. when I read about a show on Saturday morning. I thought maybe I’d swing by to check out the scene only to see dozens of original AC Cobras, 427’s ,289’s, and 260’s gathered along with Shelby’s, Boss 302’s, etc. all gathered downtown. The Cobras were starting a 1000 mile tour and the sound was great hearing them all start up and running.
I was not charged 10 cents for admission it was cool.
In the words of John McLaughlin ( The McLaughlin Group )- “WRONG! ” – The best place to hold a car show is the driveway of your buddy who’s pulling the engine first thing Saturday morning.
Cars and Caffeine at Hagerty’s in Traverse City is pretty good. Twin Bay British car club show in Alden Michigan is also well done.
Being from the Motor City, Woodward Avenue is a rolling car show every nice weekend in the summer. Especially the weekend, and each night afterwards, leading up to the day of the Dream Cruise. Ken Lingenfelter’s Cars and Coffee is another good one, along with Bakers of Mildford’s Sunday Car Show (billed as America’s largest weekly cruise).
I’m kind of biased living in Pittsburgh so I’ll add the Pittsburgh Vintage GP which started in 1983 as a 2 day event and is now a 10 day celebration of all things automotive.
This year was the 60th anniversary of the GT40 with some great examples.
Now that we have Pitt Race the big cars run there a week before the races at Schenley Park.
Still the only road race run on public roads in the USA.
Every year there is a new marque of the year. This year was the Mini Cooper.
NASCAR brought some historic cars this year. Joe Nemechek drove at Pitt Race and put down a 1:43.
Next year there is a thought that the NASCAR historics may be included in the marque and bring more cars.
If you haven’t been to the PVGP you definitely owe it yourself. The cars a fabulous and the racing is real.
Pigeon forge tenn rod run. Spring and fall. I’ve come home twice with more vehicles than I went with. Miles and miles of beautiful cars
Vintage Racing at Sebring
St Ignace Michigan last weekend in June. 800+ cars. 48 years and running! First went in 1992. Awesome!