Attendees view UTA professor Bob Woods’ replica 1966 Ford GT40 during the Downtown Arlington Classic Car Show on June 7, 2025, at Vandergriff Town Center.
File photo / Samarie Goffney
The Downtown Arlington Management Corp. is hosting its 2026 Classic Car Show from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday at the Vandergriff Town Center.
Garret Martin, Downtown Arlington Management Corp. vice president, said the event will feature over 250 classic cars from the 1920s to the 1980s, live music and other activities across downtown.
Martin said the Arlington Farmers Market and Knapp Heritage Park will also be a part of the event. The market will include local vendors and food trucks serving as dining opportunities while Knapp Heritage Park will be having its Front Street Festival.
“This event is really created to drive business into downtown and drive awareness of all the cool places that are in our downtown,” he said.
Martin said the community turnout has increased over the years. When the first car show took place, it had over 1,000 visitors. Last year’s edition doubled the amount from the previous year to around 2,500 visitors, he said.
“This is something that has an appeal across age ranges, across all demographics,” Martin said. “People just love old classic cars.”
This year the event has invested more into the dedicated kids area, he said. As one of the center points of the event, the area will have a face painter among other activities for kids to enjoy.
Martin said awards crafted by local fabricators will be given out at 2:15 p.m. The awards include the top 10 cars and mayor’s choice, as well as best hometown vehicle and best story. Winners will receive trophies made out of car parts by a local craftsman.
Car registration is currently full and no walk-ups will be accepted the day of, according to the Downtown Arlington website. Registered participants should arrive early for load-in at around 7 a.m.
Proceeds of the registration fees will benefit the Arlington Police Foundation.
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