RIDE-CT – Classic Cars Celebrating Classic Cars in Connecticut
MORRIS, CT – Only five days before it was due to happen, and with the forecast calling for sunshine and warm temperatures on Sunday, the annual “Car Show on the Beach” on Bantam Lake was suddenly canceled Tuesday afternoon.
The Morris Beach & Recreation department gave “insurmountable scheduling conflicts” as the reason for the “difficult decision” to scrap the always popular show at Morris Town Beach. The announcement post on social media added, “We are looking forward to 2026!”
The cancelation marks the second time in three years that the show has been scrapped. It was also canceled in 2023 after rain forced the Cars for Kids Automobile Show at Connecticut Junior Republic in nearby Litchfield to postpone for one week, which put the two shows on the same day.
The Car Show on the Beach is staged by Morris Beach & Recreation in partnership with the Morris Fire Company. Kristen La Riviere Davila, who is director of community activities for the town, said Wednesday that both shows would have likely been hurt by going head-to-head.
An attempt was made to find another date for the Car Show on the Beach but wasn’t successful. Delaying the show a week would have put it in conflict with another big show; the March Farm Trunk or Treat show on Oct. 26 in neighboring Bethlehem, CT.
This Sunday will be a busy day for car shows with at least 11 now planned across the state.
(Photos by Bud Wilkinson.)
(Editor’s note: Story updated on Oct. 15.)
