Car Show Trends for 2026 As Season Starts

The 2026 car show season is upon us in Connecticut. This coming weekend of April 25-26 has at least a dozen shows scheduled across the state, and that doesn’t include cars and coffee or cruise-type events. The number of car shows alone is sufficient to declare this weekend to be the offcial start of the car show season, with every preceding event being “spring training.”

RIDE-CT has been updating its 2026 Car Show Calendar for weeks now and has noticed some trends in doing so. No formal research or polling has been conducted, but anecdotal evidence suggests the following:

Popularity of Car Shows Continuing to Increase

The popularity of car shows continues to rise, despite years of contrary predictions and worries among classic car owners and lovers that their ranks would thin due to the aging out and death of participants. It seems that every week a new show is announced.

Given the number of shows posted so far – more than 175 – it’s quite likely to the total will once again top 300 shows statewide. While there’s no easy to way to track the total number of shows each year, the number has risen in recent years and shows no sign of abating, especially with groups involving younger car owners staging more shows.

Entry Fees Are Staying Steady or Decreasing

Those who’ve been complaining in recent years about the rising cost of showing cars may have to hold their tongues this year. It appears that more and more shows are sticking with either $10 or $15 entry fees, with fewer shows charging $20 or more.

Perhaps the rising cost of gas has made shows wary of scaring off potential show-goers or maybe it’s just that the shows have concluded that more money can be made by charging less, and thereby attracting more entries, but affordability seems to be more common this year.

One newcomer even reduced its entry fee this week from $25 down to $15 after assessing the car show landscape.

Shows Are Broadening Their Reach

While some shows still limit what model years may be shown, it seems that more shows are welcoming cars and trucks from yesteryear and today. While this occasionally results in splendid vintage models being locked out when a car club with modern models invades, the overall impact has to be beneficial in the long term as it brings new and younger participants to the car show scene.

Particularly noticeable this year this is the fact that many more shows are now welcoming motorcycles as well as four-wheel vehicles. It would be great to see vintage motorcycles ridden and shown more than in the past.

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Manufacturer-Specific Shows Holding Their Turf

They somewhat fly under the radar, but brand-specific shows appear to be holding steady with gatherings devoted to AMC, Oldsmobile, Pontiac, Mopar and even Subaru products showing up on the calendar. They draw brand loyalists and often showcase cars that never appear at other shows.

Brand-specific shows provide history lessons and often untold stories, too. They are well worth attending even for someone who isn’t a fan of the specific brand(s) on display.

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Copycats Abounding On Car Show Scene

Years ago, before car shows became so commonplace, there was more diversity among presenters. That seems to have evolved to where many similar/identical organizations are getting into the game. There are Lions Clubs, VFWs, VFDs, churches, breweries and high schools that now have shows, using them as fund-raisers and benefitting charitable efforts.

This isn’t a gripe; just an observation. Such copycat behavior is a natural result of the past success of others. It seems to be increasing and provides more options for classic car owners wanting to show off their rides.

Let The Car Show Season Begin…

One reminder for those staging shows, RIDE-CT is pleased to list all shows in the website’s 2026 Car Show Calendar, but a show cannot be listed if the website doesn’t know about it. Please send complete details to budw@ride-ct.com.

And one favor to ask of readers, please share the existence of the calendar with every classic car lover that you know.

(Photos by Bud Wilkinson.)