Every serious car person has a bucket list, and somewhere near the top of it sits a handful of shows big enough to shut down highways, sell out convention centers, and turn entire cities into rolling museums for a week. Below are the 15 biggest car shows in America, ranked loosely by scale and cultural weight, with everything you need to actually plan a trip: dates, locations, expected attendance, and what makes each one worth the drive.
The Industry Giants
These are the shows where the automotive world actually does business. They set trends, launch products, and pull crowds measured in the hundreds of thousands. If you want to see where the hobby is headed, start here.
1. SEMA Show (Las Vegas, NV)
- Where: Las Vegas Convention Center, 3150 Paradise Road, Las Vegas, NV 89109
- When: 📅 November 3-6, 2026 (trade-only Tue-Thu, public Friday only)
- Details: 160,000+ industry attendees, 2,000+ exhibitors, nearly 2 million sq ft of floor space
Don't want to miss this event? Add the SEMA Show to your calendar, see who else is going, and constant updates can be found on GarageApp.
The epicenter of the aftermarket world. Founded by the Specialty Equipment Market Association back in 1967, SEMA has grown into a sprawling, multi-hall event connected by an underground Vegas Loop, packed with everything from wild one-off builds to the parts and tech that will show up in catalogs a year later. Access is trade-only for most of the week, so unless you're in the industry, the single public Friday session capped off by SEMA Fest is your way in. If a viral build reveal exists, there's a good chance it debuted here first.
If you can't get SEMA industry credentials, buy a ticket to SEMA Ignited instead. You get the burnouts, the cavalcade of build cars leaving the halls, and the party atmosphere without needing a business license.
2. Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale (Scottsdale, AZ)
- Where: WestWorld of Scottsdale, 16601 N. Pima Road, Scottsdale, AZ 85260
- When: January 23-31, 2027 (9-day event)
- Details: 300,000+ projected attendees, 2,000+ collector vehicles crossing the auction block
Don't want to miss this event? Add the Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale event to your calendar, see who else is going, and constant updates can be found on GarageApp.
The collector-car world's kickoff to the new year, where a numbers-matching Hemi Cuda selling live under the desert sun has become as much a January tradition as the playoffs. Founded in 1971, Barrett-Jackson built its reputation on no-reserve bidding drama, celebrity paddle-raisers, and auctioneer theatrics that turn a simple sale into genuine live entertainment. Beyond the auction floor there's a full festival of food, ride experiences, and a vendor marketplace to wander between lots. Owners tracking their own collection can keep a running record in a Virtual Garage build showcase while they watch what everyone else is bringing to the block.
3. Daytona Turkey Run (Daytona Beach, FL)
- Where: Daytona International Speedway, 1801 W. International Speedway Blvd, Daytona Beach, FL 32114
- When: November 25-29, 2026 (Wednesday-Sunday, Thanksgiving week)
- Details: Billed by organizers as the largest combined classic car show and swap meet in the US; 5,000+ show cars, 2,000+ swap meet vendors, 1,500+ car corral vehicles for sale
Don't want to miss this event? Add the Daytona Turkey Run to your calendar, see who else is going, and constant updates can be found on GarageApp.
Founded in 1974 by hot rodder Stu Sarjeant after his own T-bucket was turned away from a local car parade, the Turkey Run has grown into a five-day takeover of the Daytona International Speedway infield every Thanksgiving week. The show car field carries no classes and no judging, just thousands of classic and muscle cars filling the infield. A swap meet and car corral run alongside it, turning the rest of the grounds into one of the largest classic car parts markets in the country. A smaller spring edition returns to the same track every March.
The Concours Crown Jewels
Where the industry giants are loud, these events are refined. Concours d'Elegance shows are about provenance, restoration quality, and machines most of us will only ever see behind velvet ropes. If you appreciate the details, having good provenance and documentation is exactly what separates a class winner from an also-ran here.
4. Chicago Auto Show
- Where: McCormick Place, 2301 S. King Drive, Chicago, IL 60616
- When: Mid-February 2027 (typically runs through Presidents Day)
- Details: 800,000+ attendees, nearly 1,000 vehicle models on display,
Don't want to miss this event? Add the Chicago Auto Show to your calendar, see who else is going, and constant updates can be found on GarageApp.
The nation's single largest attendance number of any auto show, and the ultimate consumer test-drive destination. First held in 1901, it's earned the title of America's longest-running auto show, and it uses every inch of McCormick Place, the largest convention center in North America, to pull it off. Ride-and-drive courses and hands-on EV experiences have kept it feeling less like a static showroom and more like a genuine test track under one roof.
5. New York International Auto Show (NYIAS)
- Where: Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, 655 W. 34th Street, New York, NY 10001
- When: March 26 - April 4, 2027
- Details: 850,000+ sq ft of exhibit space, 35+ manufacturers represented
Don't want to miss this event? Add the New York International Auto Show to your calendar, see who else is going, and constant updates can be found on GarageApp.
Dating back to 1900, NYIAS is still where manufacturers go when they want a world premiere to make global headlines by morning. Held on Manhattan's West Side, the show has broadened well beyond mainstream new-model debuts in recent years, adding dedicated spotlights on custom builds, JDM culture, and aftermarket tuning alongside the traditional manufacturer floor.
6. LA Auto Show
- Where: Los Angeles Convention Center, 1201 S. Figueroa Street, Los Angeles, CA 90015
- When: November 20-29, 2026 (10-day run)
- Details: 1,000+ vehicles on the floor
Don't want to miss this event? Add the LA Auto Show to your calendar, see who else is going, and constant updates can be found on GarageApp.
Part sales floor, part design showcase, with AutoMobility LA press days setting the tone for EV and concept reveals ahead of the next model year. Timed to run through the Thanksgiving holiday, it's become a family tradition for a lot of Southern California households, and its proximity to the region's design studios means concept and future-mobility reveals tend to land here before almost anywhere else in the country.
7. North American International Auto Show (Detroit Auto Show)
- Where: 1 Washington Blvd, Detroit, MI 48226
- When: January 14-24, 2027
- Details: Roughly 275,000 attendees today, down from a historic peak of 838,000
Don't want to miss this event? Add the Detroit Auto Show to your calendar, see who else is going, and constant updates can be found on GarageApp.
Still one of the industry's "Big Five" global shows alongside Geneva, Paris, Frankfurt, and Tokyo, and the spiritual home of the American auto show format. Attendance has cooled considerably from its peak decades ago as the broader auto show circuit shrinks and manufacturers shift marketing dollars toward standalone reveals, but Detroit still carries a weight of history that newer shows simply can't match.
8. Philadelphia Auto Show
- Where: Pennsylvania Convention Center, 1101 Arch Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107
- When: January 16-24, 2027
- Details: One of America's oldest auto shows, debuted 1902; roughly 250,000 visitors annually and an estimated $50M local economic impact
Don't want to miss this event? Add the Philadelphia Auto Show to your calendar, see who else is going, and constant updates can be found on GarageApp.
Interactive features like Camp Jeep's indoor off-road course keep this 124-year-old show feeling current. Produced by the Auto Dealers Association of Greater Philadelphia, it leans harder into hands-on ride-and-drive experiences than most regional shows, alongside a growing display of exotics that gives it a bit more glamour than a typical dealer-floor event.
Log every show you attend and every car you spot in GarageApp. Over a season the pattern of what you gravitate toward tells you a lot about the build or purchase you should chase next.
9. The Amelia Concours
- Where: The Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island, 4750 Amelia Island Pkwy, Fernandina Beach, FL 32034
- When: March 4-7, 2027
- Details: 25,000+ attendees, 275-350+ entrant vehicles, $111M+ changing hands at the accompanying Broad Arrow auction
Don't want to miss this event? Add The Amelia Concours to your calendar, see who else is going, and constant updates can be found on GarageApp.
Florida's answer to Pebble Beach, blending oceanfront elegance with genuinely world-class metal. Founded in 1966, the weekend has expanded well past the Sunday Concours itself to include Cars & Caffeine, the irreverent RADwood retro showcase, and the tongue-in-cheek Concours d'Lemons, all set against the manicured fairways of an oceanfront golf resort. Following the Amelia Island automotive scene year-round makes it easier to catch the smaller satellite events that build up to concours weekend.
10. Monterey Car Week
- Where: Pebble Beach Golf Links / The Lodge at Pebble Beach, 1700 17-Mile Drive, Pebble Beach, CA 93953
- When: August 6-15, 2027 (Concours on Sunday, August 15)
- Details: More than 100,000 visitors countywide across 35+ events, roughly 15,000 at the Concours itself, and $130 million in visitor spending, capped by the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance on the 18th fairway.
Don't want to miss this event? Add Monterey Car Week to your calendar, see who else is going, and constant updates can be found on GarageApp.
Ten days on California's Central Coast turn into the most expensive week in the collector car calendar. What began in 1950 as a companion event to the Pebble Beach Road Races has grown into a sprawling run of auctions, vintage racing, and driving tours spread across Monterey, Carmel, and Pebble Beach, with more than 35 separate events competing for the same week of attention. Auction houses like RM Sotheby's, Gooding & Company, and Bonhams post nine-figure sales totals before the week is even over, and none of it is really the point until Sunday, when the field narrows to the cars judged worthy of the 18th fairway. GarageApp members chasing provenance on a build often trace it back to a Car Week sale from years past, whether they were there or not.
11. PRI Show (Indianapolis, IN)
- Where: Indiana Convention Center, 100 S. Capitol Avenue, Indianapolis, IN 46225
- When: December 10-12, 2026 (Thursday-Saturday)
- Details: 40,000+ attendees from all 50 states and 70 countries, 1,100+ exhibiting companies, the world's largest gathering of motorsports professionals
Don't want to miss this event? Add the PRI Show to your calendar, see who else is going, and constant updates can be found on GarageApp.
Launched in 1988 by Performance Racing Industry and now owned by SEMA, the PRI Show is the racing world's version of the SEMA Show. Where SEMA covers the aftermarket at large, PRI narrows in on racing, drawing engine builders, chassis fabricators, and race teams from short tracks, drag strips, and everything between. The floor is trade-only, so an industry badge or a business connection is the only way onto the show floor.
12. Hot August Nights
- Where: Reno-Sparks region plus Virginia City, NV
- When: July 30 - August 8, 2027 (10-day event)
- Details: 6,000 officially registered classic cars (1979 and older), 500,000+ expected spectators
Don't want to miss this event? Add Hot August Nights to your calendar, see who else is going, and constant updates can be found on GarageApp.
An entire region turns into a rolling time capsule for ten days straight. The event kicks off with a Show-n-Shine along Virginia City's historic C Street, builds through nightly free concerts and controlled cruises across Reno and Sparks, and closes with a Grand Finale Parade that shuts down downtown streets for one last celebration. Before the trip, seeing who else is registered and headed to Reno from your area makes the drive out feel a lot less solo.
The Regional Powerhouses
Rounding out the list are shows that dominate their regions and pull national attention despite not always making headlines coast to coast. Don't sleep on these.
13. Grand National Roadster Show (Pomona, CA)
- Where: Fairplex, 1101 W. McKinley Avenue, Pomona, CA 91768
- When: February 5-7, 2027
- Details: 600+ vehicles inside the pavilions, another 800-1,200 in the outdoor "Grand Daddy Drive-In," home of the America's Most Beautiful Roadster (AMBR) award
Don't want to miss this event? Add the Grand National Roadster Show to your calendar, see who else is going, and constant updates can be found on GarageApp.
The longest continuously running indoor car show in the world, dating back to 1950 and once known as the Oakland Roadster Show. The AMBR award remains custom culture's answer to Best of Show, a trophy so prestigious that builders spend years preparing a single car specifically to compete for it.
14. Sturgis Motorcycle Rally
- Where: Sturgis, SD and the surrounding Black Hills region
- When: August 6-15, 2027 (10-day rally)
- Details: 500,000+ attendees, turning a town of roughly 7,000 residents into one of the largest gatherings in the country
Don't want to miss this event? Add the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally to your calendar, see who else is going, and constant updates can be found on GarageApp.
Since 1938, Sturgis has grown from two dozen racers into the world's most legendary motorcycle rally, with Main Street transformed into a sea of chrome for ten straight days. Given GarageApp's roots as a home for car AND motorcycle enthusiasts alike, this is the one entry on the list built entirely around two wheels instead of four, and it belongs here on scale alone.
15. Mecum Kissimmee
- Where: Osceola Heritage Park, 1875 Silver Spur Lane, Kissimmee, FL 34744
- When: January 5-17, 2027 (13-day auction)
- Details: Roughly 100,000 attendees, 4,500 vehicles crossing the block, dubbed "The World's Largest Collector Car Auction"
Don't want to miss this event? Add the Mecum Kissimmee Auction to your calendar, see who else is going, and constant updates can be found on GarageApp.
What started decades ago as a small tent sale has grown into a 13-day auction spectacle across 200 acres, broadcast live to a global audience. Everything from American muscle and Corvettes to exotics and hot rods rolls across the block, with in-seat dining options for bidders who don't want to miss a single sale.
Planning Your Show Season
Hitting even a handful of these in a single year takes real planning. Auctions and concours events cluster tightly in January (Scottsdale, Kissimmee, Detroit) and August (Monterey and Woodward on the same weekend), so you'll have to make choices. Book hotels early, especially for Monterey Car Week, where rooms sell out and prices triple months in advance.
- Pick your anchor event first, then build travel around it.
- Confirm exact dates on the official site before booking anything.
- Buy tickets and paddock or track passes in advance to save money.
- Plan for weather: outdoor concours and cruises live and die by it.
- Give yourself a rest day between back-to-back mega-events.
Whichever shows make your list, the memories add up fast. Cataloging the cars you see and the events you attend turns a scattered season into a proper collection of experiences, and it makes swapping recommendations with other enthusiasts far easier.
If tracking your show season gets you talking up GarageApp to the enthusiasts you meet along the way, you might as well get paid for it. The GarageApp Affiliate Program pays 30% for the lifetime of anyone you refer, so the recommendations you're already making in the paddock and the parking lot can turn into a little recurring income between shows.
Signing up takes just a minute. Create your affiliate account, grab your personal referral link, and start sharing it with the crowd you already run with. You can sign up here and have your link ready before your next show weekend.