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
WOW, Detroit is nowhere on the list regardless of the fact that we have the Woodward Dream Cruise, Motor Muster and the Old Car Festival. Yesterday, I was in charge of Car Games at Greenfield Village and we raced a Gray Dort, a Prush, a Model S (which came before the Model T), an Auburn, a Nash, a Hupmobile, a Jackson, a Maxwell, along with several Stanley Steamers. I’ll take Old Car Festival Uber Alles!
Tell me you didn’t read the article without telling me you didn’t read the article… Let me direct you to the quote:
““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”
And that’s why I added the PVGP.
Acres of cars to look at and classics running on track.
Any well-cordoned off supermarket or big box store parking lot. A great way to attract interest in cars from people who would otherwise never think about it. Guaranteed they’ll wander over to the show after stuffing their bananas and corn flakes into the back of their CR-Vs. Who knows. Maybe grandma over there will buy your blown ‘70 Nova.
LOL nobody mentions summernats in australia.
I started this show in 2021 after realizing there wasn’t one, anywhere. Deutsche Klassic is in the old town of Norcross, GA. Classic German cars only. >25yo
Norcross is a small town in the suburbs of Atlanta. Once a stop on the train line to NYC.
200 classic German cars attend every year. German band, German food, and of course German Bier.
The trophies are classic German beer steins with plaques on chains signifying your significant German car you brought to the show. 10/26/24 Still time to register. https://www.deutsche-klassic.com/
Prost!!!
I guess the west and east coast is not aware of the midwest we have I think thee biggest car show its call BACK TO FIFTY which brings in over 10,000 yes 10,000 cars in MPLS and ST.Paul MINN held the fair grounds a great location and a lot going on
Trying to see 10,000 cars isn’t a car show – it’s a death march! 😁
Art Museum.
concoursdemaryhill.com
Anybody ever go to the Nationals in Central New York at the Fairgrounds? It’s a3day event usually in mid July I think it’s nothing newer than 1980
Ol Maris River Run in the nowhere town of Ottawa, KS. 1500+ cars of everything you can think of, held in the city park with cars constantly cruise the huge park grounds. Throw up a chair and the show comes to you. Held in September, at 4pm they line up all the cars and parade to downtown, they flip on the Christmas lights (think small town America – the scene from “Cars” ) and everyone cruises up and down Main Street until midnight. Street Rodder covered it for years and Dennis Gage has done a show on it. By far my favorite.
Been there twice in my 67 GMC- It’s a good time!
Moose Lodge in Merritt Island, Florida. Ho³lds about 150 cars. Once a year in the fall
You will see all different types of cars.
My favorite is the Hendrick Center for Automotive Excellence, Wake Tech Community college. They graduate 350 automotive technicians a year at this 40,000 sq foot modern facility in Raleigh, NC. Our club, Corvettes International has a show there annually and draws a great crowd and hundreds of cars.
I am still in London after visiting the Goodwood revival, and I must say that it is very hard to beat. I am also very fond of the Pittsburgh vintage Grand Prix. (Slight disclaimer; I am a Pittsburgh native And my wife of 40 years and I had our first date at the first PVGP). Goodwood and PVGP share many qualities but hearing and seeing the World War II fighters fly overhead at Goodwood Is something everyone should experience.
Well other than race tracks for national shows like SAAC puts on it has to be a large indoor venue like MCACN in Rosemont Il. Nothing like it on the planet to see muscle cars you will not see anywhere else. The majority of Ebody HEMI verts one year? Boss 429s in every color another? Barn finds. All in climate control comfort. The only show I travel to go to every year.
the street rod nationals, unbelievable with ten thousand cars in attendance, part of our month long honeymoon back in 1975.
St. Ignace, MI. Right across the Mackinac Bridge into the UP (upper peninsula).
It was there that I once saw a ’55 Chevy 3-door sedan; two doors on one side and a single door on the other. (Some body-guy showing off his skills.)
Someone mentioned a Prush automobile. Probably a typo. The Brush (with a B) was made in Highland Park from 1907 to 1909. It was unique in that it had a wooden front axle. I have seen one at the Greenfield Village old car show.
That’s Highland Park, Michigan. Sorry.