Gasparilla Cars in the Park is an open car, truck and motorcycle show run by Gasparilla Concours d’Elegance Inc., a Tampa nonprofit. The 2026 show is on Saturday 5 December at Carrollwood Village Park, 4680 West Village Drive, per the organizer’s site. The organizer bills it as a way to kick off both the holidays and the Gasparilla season.
The show page welcomes “all collectible vehicles, 1900-present day,” from pre-war and post-war cars to hot rods, resto-mods, exotics and motorcycles. Admission is free for the public. An AACA-certified team of judges awards the trophies, and every entered vehicle gets a “Booty Bag” of holiday goodies.
When to arrive
The registration page says payment and registration at the gate run from 9am to 11am on the morning of the show. Car clubs that are not pre-registered are asked to arrive at 8am with payment ready. The organizer publishes no end time for the show.
What it costs to show a car
The sources disagree. The show page gives $25 for pre-registration and says that, if the field is not full by show day, registering on site costs $30. The registration page, read on 1 November, says online pre-registration for 2026 is closed and that show cars pay $25 at the gate, with cash preferred and cards accepted. Expect $25 to $30. A car corral space for a car that is for sale is $60.
The park and the day
Carrollwood Village Park has a waterpark, playground, skate park, dog parks, nature trails and picnic areas, per the show page, and the organizer invites families to bring “the Kids and the Fur-Babies.” The Humane Society plans an adoption tent. Food trucks, beer and wine sales and live entertainment are listed, along with a vintage fashion show in which period dress earns an extra judging point.
GasparSanta makes an appearance, and the organizer expects Ye Mystic Krewe of Gaspar to “invade” the show, beads and all. Car clubs can book tent space behind their cars for a holiday party and get a visit from Santa.
The charity
Proceeds from the show’s silent auction go to Champions for Children, a local nonprofit working to prevent child abuse and neglect, and the organizer says 100 percent of auction proceeds go to it. The show is presented by the Carrollwood Park Conservancy, with the Hillsborough Region of the AACA.
When is Gasparilla Cars in the Park 2026?
Saturday 5 December 2026 at Carrollwood Village Park in Tampa. Gate registration runs 9am to 11am; no end time is published.
Is it free?
Free for the public, per the organizer. Showing a car costs $25, or $30 on site if the organizer’s show-day rule applies.
Can I bring any car?
Collectible vehicles from 1900 to the present day, including hot rods, resto-mods, exotics and motorcycles. Cars for sale go in the $60 car corral.
Can I still pre-register?
The registration page said on 1 November that 2026 pre-registration was closed and pointed to registration at the gate.
Can I bring my dog?
The show page invites families to bring the kids and the “Fur-Babies,” and the park has dog parks.
- Source: Gasparilla Concours d'Elegance, Cars in the Park, read 1 November 2026
- Source: Gasparilla Concours d'Elegance, home page, read 1 November 2026
- Source: Gasparilla Cars in the Park registration (RegFox), read 1 November 2026
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