Though he won’t be entering his 1967 Chevy Nova SS in this year’s April Action Car Show, Lonnie Campbell said he “definitely” plans to attend the event where approximately 400 classic cars will be on display.
The 27th annual car show is on Saturday, April 27, at Swanny City Park.
Campbell’s car, which he began building when he was 12, last appeared in the car show in 2017. The Chevy is currently torn apart — he’s putting a late model drive train in it — and hopes to enter the dark metallic blue Chevy with white leather interior in next year’s car show. The 32-year-old said he has shown many cars over the years having grown up working on cars.
Sponsored by the Moab Rotary Club, the annual car show is a “family-oriented event in Moab, with a centralized place to hang out,” in the park, Campbell said.
A Salt Lake City disc jockey will spin rock and roll tunes throughout the day on Saturday, April 27. Food vendors will be serving a variety of menu options at the park and merchants selling car-related merchandise will have their own displays.
Residents will get a sneak preview on Friday evening when the fancy cars drag up and down Main Street. People set up lawn chairs and open tailgates to hang out and watch the show. The action continues on Saturday evening after the show closes in the park.
“It’s just a great time,” Rotary Club President Dave Bierschied said. “It’s free, there are a lot of cars and we’re nice presenters.”
Vehicles will be judged in a dozen different categories, including “Best Import,” “Best Hot Rod” and “Best Muscle Car.” There will also be a “Best of Show Award.”
Cars begin arriving at the park around 6 a.m. on Saturday and all the vehicles will be there by 11 a.m. The park is open to the public from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Unlike last year, when awards were presented on Sunday, this year’s winners will be announced on Saturday afternoon.
The event typically features roughly 500 cars, divided into 26 different categories. Attendees can expect to see “hot rods” of the 1940s and 50s, as well as 1960s Chevy Camaros and Chevelles, plus cars dating back to the 1930s. And, you’ll usually find a Model-T or two, Rotary Club member John Fogg said. The show features vehicles from 1900 to brand new models, he added.
“It’s a good reflection of some high-quality cars,” Fogg said. “We bring in 8,000 people to see the show every year.”
Additionally, the Rotary Club raises $25,000 through sponsorships, which the club then doles out to various nonprofit organizations such as Youth Garden Project, Moab Valley Multicultural Center, Moab Free Health Clinic and the BEACON Afterschool Program.
“One-hundred of all proceeds goes to local charities, and for high school scholarships,” Fogg said.
A majority of the cars come from the Salt Lake City area, though car show participants also travel from Cortez, Grand Junction and Durango, Colorado.
The $25 entry fee (if paid before Friday, April 26) for car owners covers expenses associated with the event. Participants can register until 11 a.m. on Saturday, April 27. On Friday and Saturday the registration fee is $40.
Car show participants can also take part in “rod runs” when drivers line up at the park to make trips to Green River on Friday and Red Cliffs Lodge on Sunday.
Rotary Club event raises money for local nonprofits, college scholarships
Where: Swanny City Park, 400 N. 100 West
When: April 26, 27 and 28
Cost: Free
Info: Visit moabcarshow.org/contact or call 435-260-1968
“One-hundred percent of all proceeds goes to local charities, and for high school scholarships”
