Organizers of the Lehigh Valley Auto Show served up a preview Tuesday of what to expect when the show returns to Bethlehem next month.
The 2026 show will run March 18-22 on the Murray H. Goodman Campus at Lehigh University. It features 140,000 square feet of vehicles and a new, off-site charity gala aimed at supporting local youth organizations.
Themed “Accelerating Excellence,” the event will showcase new vehicles, classic cars, custom and tuner vehicles, crossovers, hybrid and full-electric models, trucks and cycles across three contiguous venues at the Bethlehem campus.
It opens to the public Wednesday, March 18, at 5 p.m. and continues through Sunday, March 22.
Dan Moyer, executive director of the Greater Lehigh Valley Auto Dealers Association (GLVADA) that puts the show on, said guests will be treated to a celebration of economic and technological progress against the backdrop of building momentum for the Lehigh Valley region.
“SUVs and crossovers will take center stage this year, from compact crossovers to three-row family SUVs,” he said during Tuesday’s preview at Lehigh’s Stabler Athletic & Convocation Center that serves as one of the event venues. “And what is great about the auto show is all attendees will be able to compare today’s most popular vehicles side by side in the product segment of their interest.”
Visitors will find next-generation electric vehicles with extended ranges, hybrid gas-electric vehicles built for modern families, hybrid top-performance sports cars that push engineering limits and autonomous-ready models with advanced driver assist systems, according to Moyer.
The inaugural Cars & Kids, Because We CARe Community Gala will take place Saturday, March 21, from 5:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at Wind Creek Bethlehem. This marks a change from previous years, when the gala was held on the Wednesday evening before the show would open Thursday. That means attendees get an extra half-day of Lehigh Valley Auto Show this year.
The gala will present more than $70,000 in grants to over a dozen nonprofit organizations serving children and families across the Lehigh Valley region, according to the auto dealers association. Sponsorships are available.
Participating nonprofits include America On Wheels, Boys & Girls Club of Allentown, Camelot for Children, Lehigh Valley Center for Independent Living, Love Ran Red, Pediatric Cancer Foundation of the Lehigh Valley and Volunteer Center of the Lehigh Valley.
The gala will feature dining, drinks, music, dancing, and a silent auction. Singer-songwriter Kendal Conrad will perform the national anthem at the gala. Tickets can be purchased at lehighvalleyautoshow.org.
“I’d like to personally thank GLVADA for inviting us to be part of the Cars and Kids program as we continue to partner together in creating great futures and centering our youth throughout the city of Allentown — especially as we continue to offer together advanced programming and necessary life skills development for our club members,” said Brandon Marth, the new director of development for the Boys & Girls Club of Allentown.
The Shiftin2Gear Tuner Show is returning to the auto show for a second year on Saturday, March 21, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. It’s organized by Moyer’s daughter, Kristi Moyer, and cohosted by BlackGlass Automotive Styling.
“This show has something for every car lover from fully customized cars to wild engine builds to high-performance streetcars, exotics and lifted trucks,” she said. “Whether you’re into clean builds or jaw-dropping horsepower, you’re going to find that here.”
Tickets begin at $35 to exhibit a vehicle at the tuner show and vie for 15 awards, with vendor spaces also available. They are available from the Shiftin2Gear Tuner Show page at thefoat.com. Admission to the entire Lehigh Valley Auto Show is included for the day.
Other highlights include daily tasting events with a local winery and distillery and Marketplace Marvel, a shopping experience featuring local businesses. Kendra Scott, a jewelry store based locally at the Lehigh Valley Mall Lifestyle Center, will be selling items with 20% of proceeds donated to the Cars & Kids, Because We CARe Foundation. And Whoodle Works Studio in the Palmer Park Mall will have a paint station set up for kids on opening night.
Scouting America is staging a merit badge program and Pinewood Derby races, and the Pit Crew Challenge returns for a second year. For a $5 donation, two-person teams can attempt to change a tire on a modified race car already on jacks. The fastest time every two hours earns the participants a $50 gift card.
“The auto show is not just about cars,” Dan Moyer said. “We want to make it where it can touch a lot of different people. Not everyone that comes to the show really wants to look at a car.”
Car club events will take place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. throughout the weekend, with the Thunderbird Club on Friday, Corvette Club on Saturday and Mustang Club on Sunday.
The show will also introduce Driver, GLVADA’s new mascot modeled after a Bernese mountain dog, sponsored by First Commonwealth Federal Credit Union.
Last year’s show drew a record 62,104 people over four days, Moyer said. That’s nearly 9% of Lehigh and Northampton counties’ combined population of 708,644, according to 2024 U.S. Census Bureau estimates.
Show hours for 2026 are 5 to 8 p.m. on Wednesday, March 18; 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, March 19-21; and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, March 22.
Admission is $10 for adults or $8 for ages 55 and older and 6-14. Children 5 and under enter free. Veterans, military personnel and first responders receive free admission with ID on the Wednesday.
Tickets are valid for any single day and can be purchased at lehighvalleyautoshow.org or at the show.
Free parking is available throughout the event at Lehigh University’s Goodman Campus, 124 Goodman Drive, Bethlehem.
GLVADA is a coalition of 44 new-car dealers with 75 franchises.
The Cars & Kids, Because We CARe Foundation is the youth and community engagement initiative of the Greater Lehigh Valley Auto Dealers Association. Since 1996, GLVADA and its charitable programs have donated more than $1.9 million to local nonprofits and youth-serving organizations.
For more information, visit lehighvalleyautoshow.org.