Rodders have been bitching about this for years. The bottom line is the general Jersey Shore Watching, Lady Gaga listening public doesn't give two shits about our cars and isn't gonna pay to see them. It's up to us to make what we can. The same dudes that would complain about "where are all the car shows now?" are the same dudes that gripe about a 20 dollar entry fee. We should be glad there are shows to go hang out at. I don't care about the fee, and I'm a hypercritical bastard that hates 90% of what I see at a show. But every time there's something that catches my eye and makes it worth it.
Jeez, Here in the Columbus area a one day show is usually $6-10! I glad I'm here, with GAS PRICES this summer it will put a hurt on a lot of the locals who go to a show 2 or more times a month. Of course the Cruise Night at Wholly Joe's on Thursday nights on Polaris is always FREE! Just a quick plug, they start the first Thursday in May.
The last 23 years the Mopar club I belong to put on a 60-70 car (average attendance) all mopar car show/swap meet with drive thru judging- (got to hear the cars run, a little more fun for the spectators) We usually had a 6-7 color t-shirt and lots of good door prizes / raffels etc. I believe last year the entry fee was $25.00, pre register included a free shirt- day of show $25.00 no free shirt. Usually donated $1,500-$2,000 to charity after the show. We are scaling things back this year - 1 color shirt design, participant picked top 15. & Entry fee $15.00 pre Reg inc. tshirt $10.00 day of show, no free shirt.
I've been thinking about that myself lately. It doesn't really seem fair, does it? I guess it comes down to elite parking, not having to haul your picnic basket around, etc. If (like the Pileup) it's $20 for everyone in the car or $5/head at the gate, it pretty much evens out, plus you get a good parking space. John Wells/CoolStuff is trying out some different things with his shows (Vintage Torque Fest and Iron Invasion). I think he is charging show cars the same (or less) as spectators, while still keeping the shows affordable ($10?). The slightly higher spectator admission will keep the non-car-appreciating gawkers away, and the lower car price will hopefully draw out more cool cars. There are a lot of really good ideas in this thread (e.g., gas vouchers, bbq dinners, etc)!
I would rather cruise into a local coffee shop ( Tim Hortons ) in Langley B.C. on a friday night, as no one is hell bent on making their car the prettiest or has some goofy sign set up in front of their store bought ride...just sayin !
In New England the prices are all over the place. Some of the best are only $10 bucks. Orange Drag strip Reunion, Alter Boys and Gathering of the Faithful to name a few. But then there shows like the Ty-Rods which is $40 bucks & pre-registration only. You do get a T-shirt(plastic) and a mug. And passengers are x-tra.
The largest one day show around Indy is 25.00 pre entered 30.00 day of. Pulls about 500 cars and has a Friday night cruise in with a live band included with the pre entry. T- Shirt, Goodie bag and live music included on show day. Awards are top notch too, but I don't care about that stuff at all. Just a fun day hanging out with a bunch of car guys and girls. Only down side....lots of gold chainers.
Seems like most of the shows around Houston are $25ish. The big concours show is Classy Chassis in Reliant Stadium. It's invite only, but is actually free to enter. I believe ticket prices for spectators is around $25, but it all goes to charity.
In middle Tennessee every Friday night there's a $1 show in Murfreesboro. Normal attendance is around 2 to 300. Everything from Rats to New stuff and hotrods, but like cars pretty much stick together. Just a get-to-gather to shoot the bull, something to eat and cars. Organized car shows suck.
About $10 to $15 buck in Connecticut, you get a dash plaque and a goody bag plus 50/50 rafles and trophies .... good food. Most car shows around here are charity events....
Jalopyrama will reduce it's admission/donation price from $12 to $10 bucks this year. Since the show is a benefit and all the Rusty Nuts work for free, it started to be a big problems running out of ones at the gate. So since we're makin' a fair amount for the charity keeping the gate fee will be easier for everyone and maybe we'll make up the difference on the swag & auction. If not that's ok too. It's a great traditional show and we try to keep it simple, affordable and enjoyable for all. Jalopyrama Hot Rod Show - October 20, 2012 at the Annapolis National Guard Armory. www.jalopyrama.com Thanks, Mike
I think our AutoRama is $45 and you get a goody bag. BUT, The Nifty-Fiftys meet-up in Spring, TX is free and there's at LEAST 300 cars, maybe more. It's every Saturday, starts in late sping and goes till November. It's a free car show every weekend!
Wouldn't have a clue, have not done a show that you had to pay to get in , in over 5 years. Some free ones are still around here and being old enough to remember when shows would pay our club to show up makes it hard for me to pay. I always figured without the cars they'd have no show and I'm the one who spent the money to build it. That being said I've got nothing again paid car shows, I just don't do them.
In the UK some shows have a booking fee of £25 PER VEHICLE that probably equates to around US$35 which i think is extortionate! These shows should pay us to roll up and show off! Either that or cough up the petrol money!
The biggest local show is $10 and you get a T-shirt. No trophies, which is just fine. I could be wrong but I do not think I ever paid more than $10. Yeah, I guess I did but that show is no longer happening. It was nice while it lasted.
When the Tyrods in Ma. raised their price to $40,I stopped going to any show that charges. There are plenty of cruise nights per week to keep me busy. On a side note, I went to an invitation only car show put on by a church, where not only was all the food free, the desert table itself was at least 30' long and there were TWO of them!
I have been on both sides of the fence, putting on events and just a participant. If a fairground is involved the admission is generally pricey. Fairground rentals are not cheap, nor are they usually easy to deal with. They are there to squeeze every dollar they can out of the renter. That is their job. I myself don't like paying, but sometimes it is necessary. Rule of thumb, don't want to pay, don't go. Pretty soon you won't have events in your area as they are no longer financially viable to put on there. Pat
I remember back in the late 70's, malls used to pay guys with old cars to set them up inside... those days are gone. If you can convince everyone who attends to not sue if they "get runned over", or trip over a parking bumper or blade of grass. AND Make everyone go to the bathroom before they leave AND Make everyone clean up after themselves and and not make a mess AND Make everyone take all the garbage they make with them when they leave AND Make everyone promise to know hurt or affect anybody else's property so we can tell the security people to stay home. ... All car shows can be free again. I'm sure there are more issues somebody planning on putting on a show contends with, like gov. permitting, paying for the use of a facility, etc. but this is just a list of the things that it would be impossible to contend with without money being spent.
I stopped goping to paying shows. I will go to a 20-25 dolar show but here in socal some shows want 40 - 45. Sorry not getting my money. I would rather work on my car then sit in a lot for 6+ hours. I like the local cruise nights and supercar sunday, free and only a few hours, you do not feel trapped or raped
One day shows using a main street venue are very popular in the southwest. Spectators don't pay and 90% of the merchants like the added foot traffic going by their stores. However, the insurance requirements by the cities are ball busters and require at least a $25 entry fee to cover those costs. Proceeds go to charity and service clubs usually offer burrito breakfasts, etc.
I am in charge of the Monrovia Car Show for Street Rods Forever we host every year. Streets are closed off. I prefer these types of shows. Lots of food choices, stores are open for a diversion (wives love these kinds of shows), lots of shade, music, raffles, awards for those who care. It costs a fortune to throw one of these events. City charges a fee, there's clean-up deposits, police, band or DJ, insurance, raffle prizes to buy (last year our raffle barely broke even). I have to deal with the Mayor, Merchants, police, public works, zoning, fire department, traffic barriers, chlean-up, flyers, t-shirt artwork, awards- the list is endless. Takes 6+ months to get everything lined up We try to keep the price down & the included "free" T-shirt cuts deep into the pre-registered entry money. I'm toying w/ the idea of tossing out the free T-shirt this year to keep entry fees reasonable but wow! You'd think I was stealing someone's newborn child at the even mention of no free T-shirts! Personally, I hate the "car show" type T-shirts. I have boxes of them from years of different shows still in their unopened bags. I may give in for 1 more year on the T-shirt deal but those who haven't been involved on the other side of a show have no clue how much work it is or how much it costs. Yea- we could do it cheaper in a parking lot but everyone seems to like street shows. We get around 400 cars a year & what's left over goes to charity.
19Fordy, There was a new show in Boca Raton this year that you might want to pencil in for next year. It was an element of Boca's new downtown festival days called "Meet me at the Promenade". We had about sixty cars at this initial event. There was no charge for car entrants. We were parked along a blocked off street with lots of shade provided by the surrounding buildings. Entrants were given a tee-shirt and a lunch ticket. Lunch was provided for entrants and family by a local bank branch (Comerica) in their lobby. High end picnic fare plus beer/wine/whiskey and you could go for seconds. This is the best deal in the area for entrants. BTW, Saw the progress on your '51 Merc at Adam's shop a few months back and that thing is stunning. I know it has been a long time coming but I think it will be worth it when you get it on the road.
I only do a "show" if there is a charity donation involved, I just consider the fee a donation. I really don't care if there is judging and awards involved. Hate to see members of a club parting on the proceeds from a show
The cost of putting on a show, and how much goes to charity is bogus. The largest show in my area is the weekly cruise in at PIR called "Beaches" It's put on by a local eatery and attendance is over 1200 cars each week on a warm Wed. summer night. They give over $100,000 to charity each year from the proceeds, and entry fee is $5 per car, and $5 per spectator. Don't tell me others need $20 when Beaches can rent the racetrack, pay a band, give out awards, and only charge $5, and still give that much to charity each year. Some car clubs are simply lining their coffers with a lot of money, and giving a small amount to charity to call it a fundraiser.
our show is not only free, you get fed twice and a couple of free raffle tickets. all proceeds from raffle etc. go to charity.
Where does the money come from to cover event license, portapotties, food, etc? Is it all donated? It's a great idea and I think a lot of others would love to know how you do it so they can copy it in their area. Another reason for a $20 admission is that you don't have to make change. Everyone has $20 bills from ATMs. Anything more/less requires having a LOT of change on hand. Running out on a Saturday/Sunday causes problems.
I hit a lot of shows, 35 events last year in total. A couple of my favorites are put on by StrayKatKustoms on here. Full disclosure I am a Stray Kat and do plug Mick's shows every chance I get but c'mon it's $20 to enter the Stray Kat 500 and the first 100 (of 500 total) entries last year got a cool goodie bag with an old small paged magazine and a silk screened work shirt with the Stray Kat logo on the back. The remaining entrants also got the same goodie bags only without the work shirt. The shirt alone is worth $20! Add to that the the 500 doesn't charge for spectators! The Starliner show has a small entry fee but it is also held on the grounds of the Kansas Aviation Museum and the entry fee also gets you access to all that the museum has to offer. I don't know of any shows with more of a laid back hang out with your car buddies atmosphere than these two. As Hellfish mentioned a page ago, another guy doing it right is CoolStuff (John Wells) of Vintage Torque Fest and the new to this year Iron Invasion. Affordable prices for spectator & show vehicles. Now if I could only convince John to move TorqueFest to a different weekend from the Stray Kat 500 I could hit them both again Another one that does it right is the Greaserama in KC. If I remember right it's $25 to pre-reg and $10 for spectators, it's been a few months so I might be $5 off on both of those. This is a show that can easily see 1000 cars show up. Most of the other smaller shows I see seem to be about the same $20-25 range for show vehicles and $10 or so for spectators.
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