Grand National Roadster Show 2027, Pomona

The Grand National Roadster Show returns to Fairplex in Pomona from Friday 5 to Sunday 7 February 2027. Rod Shows bills it as the 77th annual show. It began in Oakland in 1950, when Al and Mary Slonaker founded it and created the America’s Most Beautiful Roadster award. Rod Shows calls it the longest running indoor car show in the world.

Inside the Fairplex buildings, more than 500 judged show vehicles compete for awards, per Rod Shows. Outside, the Grand Daddy Drive-In parks hundreds of driven-in cars between the buildings each day. One ticket covers both.

Dates and hours

The show is open 10am to 6pm on each of the three days, per the 2027 schedule on the Rod Shows site and the official ticket page:

• Friday 5 February 2027: 10am to 6pm
• Saturday 6 February 2027: 10am to 6pm
• Sunday 7 February 2027: 10am to 6pm

Rod Shows says Friday has less foot traffic. It also calls Friday the best day to meet builders and car owners. The America’s Most Beautiful Roadster winner is crowned on Sunday afternoon.

Tickets

These are the 2027 prices on the Rod Shows site and its ticket seller, The FOAT:

• General admission, ages 13 and up: $50 for one day, $150 for a three-day pass.
• Junior admission, ages 6 to 12: $10 for one day, $30 for a three-day pass.
• Children 5 and under: free.

The FOAT checkout adds fees and tax at the last step. The amounts were not shown before checkout.

Rod Shows sells discounted ticket vouchers through O’Reilly Auto Parts stores. The discount amount is not published on the Rod Shows site. If there is no O’Reilly near you, Rod Shows suggests buying a voucher at a California store on the way to the show.

Once inside, meeting the celebrity guests is free. Rod Shows notes that an autograph may cost extra.

Parking

Spectator parking is at Gate 9, off White Avenue. It costs $21 per vehicle. Payment is cashless, card only. Fairplex sets the rate, and Rod Shows says it can change, so check with Fairplex at 909-623-3111 if the price matters to you.

There is no tram from the Fairplex parking lots. Mobility scooters can be rented at the front gate from Event Mobility. To reserve one ahead, call 619-234-9505. Personal golf carts are not allowed.

To leave and come back the same day, get your hand stamped at the gate. If you drive out of the parking lot, you pay for parking again when you return.

What to see

America’s Most Beautiful Roadster. The award is open to roadsters, roadster pickups, phaetons and touring cars based on 1937 and older U.S. production cars, and to designer roadsters that resemble them. Cars cannot have side windows. The winner takes $12,500 and a replica of the nine-foot perpetual trophy, presented by ARP. The 2026 winner was Nicole Baird’s 1932 Ford Roadster.

Al Slonaker Memorial Award. The top-judged non-roadster making its debut at the show wins $12,500 and a custom billet trophy.

Feature building. Each year one building holds a theme chosen by committee. The cars inside are picked by invitation. The 2026 theme was Fat Attack, 1935 to 1948 fat-fender cars and trucks. The 2027 theme was not posted on the pages read for this guide.

Suede Palace. A building for traditional hot rods, customs and drag cars in the style of the 1940s to 1960s, with live bands and vendors selling vintage clothing and art.

Pinstriper charity fundraiser. Bring an item and have it striped for a small fee, with the money going to charity.

Personal photography is allowed. Stay out of the vehicle display areas. There is no car corral for vehicles for sale, though Rod Shows says some Drive-In cars may be for sale.

Show a car at the Grand Daddy Drive-In

The Drive-In is the outdoor part of the show. It is open to hot rods, customs, classics, muscle cars and trucks. Motorcycles are not allowed. Every car must be driven in. The 2027 fees, per the Rod Shows entry form and ticket page:

• Friday 5 February: $75
• Saturday 6 February: $125
• Sunday 7 February: $75
• All three days: $250

The fee covers the car, the driver and one passenger, plus entry to the indoor show. Extra passengers pay $50 each, cash only. Online pre-registration closes at noon Pacific time on Wednesday 27 January 2027. Registering on site is cash only, with no multi-day discount and no goodie bag. Car clubs with 10 or more cars can get a discount on Sunday only by calling 877-763-7469.

Drivers enter at Gate 17, at McKinley Avenue and Fairplex Drive, and head to check-in at the south end of the lot. The entry form says the move-in gate opens at 7am, parking on the grounds starts at 8am, and the gates close at 8:30am sharp. A car not inside by then is turned away. Drive-In cars may leave from 5pm, once Fairplex security clears it. Editor’s pick awards are handed out at 4pm on Saturday and 2pm on Sunday, with no awards on Friday.

The Drive-In bans overnight parking, coolers, alcohol and pets. Fees are not refunded, and the event runs rain or shine.

Enter a car indoors

Indoor entries are judged. The 2027 entry form lists $250 for a standard 10 by 20 foot display, $500 for a 20 by 20 display, and $250 for a Suede Palace entry. Each entry includes two set-up day passes, two three-day show passes and one parking pass. Every application needs four photos.

The form set early entry before 1 October 2026 and adds a $50 late fee after that date, so a new application now carries the late fee. Rod Shows says applications go through an approval process, not first come, first served, and not every car is accepted. Once the show is full, new entries go on a waitlist.

Every car must run, drive, steer and stop under its own power, with less than a quarter tank of fuel. America’s Most Beautiful Roadster and Al Slonaker entries need a 20 by 20 display and a separate application, by phone at 877-763-7469.

Before you go

Outside food and drinks are not allowed at Fairplex, except water bottles. Only service dogs are allowed. The show runs rain or shine.

The Hall of Fame dinner is on Friday 5 February at 5pm at the Sheraton conference center, $125 a seat, booked on the indoor entry form.

Rod Shows lists the Sheraton Fairplex at 601 W McKinley Avenue (909-622-2220) and the DoubleTree by Hilton Claremont, which offers $179 a night plus tax with group code GNH until 10 January 2027 (909-626-2411).

For more shows and meets around Los Angeles, see car events in Los Angeles.

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