On Saturday, Oct. 16, Parriott’s Garage will host its first-ever auto show at the Old Spanish Trail Arena.
“We’re trying to get more broad, and make an action-based show,” said Brenner Parriott, the current owner, and manager of Parriott’s Garage, located on Mill Creek Drive. The auto shop has been in Moab and has been run by the Parriott family since 1917.
The fall show aims to be modernized and interactive. It’s a “new age” automotive show, Parriott said, in comparison to the more classic “April Action Car Show” put on by the Moab Rotary Club in Swanny Park every April.
Parriott said what inspired him to put on a fall show is that he and his family “just love our cars”—it’s their passion, he said. Plus, he added, he wanted another show in town at the end of the car season as the last chance for people to show their cars before storing them away for the winter.
“Our aspirations were to give our community and other car enthusiasts something fun to do before the season ends,” he said.
Cars will arrive at the arena at 7 a.m. to begin setting up—at 10 a.m., spectators will be allowed in. Pre-award car activities will begin at 1:30 p.m., such as low car limbo and tool trivia. The award ceremony will begin at 2:30 p.m.
First, second, and third place will be awarded to winners in each of the 18 classes: best debut, mini trucks/lowriders, full-size cars, domestic coup, domestic hot rod pre-1990s, domestic cars/trucks, import cars/euro cars, lifted/4×4, classic trucks, classic cars, modern muscle cars, rat rod cars/trucks, exotic cars/trucks, under construction, motorcycles, ATV/UTV, special interest, and other.
Certain classes will be awarded “Perpetual Trophies,” meaning the winner receives free entry for the following year. Perpetual trophies are awarded for: best of show, best interior, best engine, best paint, best engineered, lowest vehicles limbo contest, old school builder’s choice, best car club collective, and Parriott’s Garage performance favorite.
The cars will be judged by local car enthusiasts such as Jeff Edwards, owner of Grand Tire Pros, and Jeremy Parriott, the uncle of Brenner Parriott, who grew up in Moab.
“It’ll be fun to have a Parriott actually judging as well,” Parriott said.
The show is expecting 200 vehicles and has a spectator limit of 1,000 people due to COVID-19 protocols. There will also be food vendors—Lop’s Pop Shop, El Local, Emmet’s Lemonade, and Bitsy’s Brew—and auto vendors.
The show has received overwhelming community support, Parriott said. They received donations from 20 local business and organization sponsors. Plus, there’s already a huge car enthusiast community in Moab and southeast Utah—in years past, the April Action Car Show attracted almost 8,000 spectators and 500 car entries, according to the show’s website.
“I’m really excited for everyone to come together to see what we’re willing to offer, to hang out and see all these beautiful cars, and to meet new people to show them what we love to do,” he said.
Parriott hopes the show becomes an annual staple and becomes something more than just a local car show. He wants to get small businesses and auto vendors invested and wants the show to become a place to debut new product releases convention-style. But more than that, he wants the car enthusiast community to have another place to meet each other.
The show will run from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the Old Spanish Trail Arena down Highway 191. Tickets are $15 for adults and $5 for kids ages 3 to 15 and can be purchased online at www.parriottsgarage.com/pages/pgp-auto-show.
Event Info
What: Parriott’s Garage Performance Auto Show
When: Saturday, Oct. 16 from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Where: Old Spanish Trail Arena (3641 S. Highway 191)
Tickets are $15 for adults, $5 for kids ages 3-15 and can be purchased online at www.parriottsgarage.com/pages/pgp-auto-show
