Spring Carlisle 2027, Carlisle

Spring Carlisle opens the Carlisle Events season from Wednesday 21 April to Sunday 25 April 2027 at the Carlisle PA Fairgrounds. It is a collector car flea market, a car corral of cars for sale by their owners, and a two-day collector car auction.

The organizer calls it one of the largest automotive flea markets in the world. It lists 8,100 vendor spaces selling parts, accessories, cars, collectibles and memorabilia. The fairgrounds cover 82 acres with more than 16 miles of paved roadway.

Carlisle Auctions runs the auction on the Thursday and Friday at the Carlisle Expo Center, a few blocks west of the fairgrounds.

Dates and hours

• Wednesday 21 to Saturday 24 April 2027: 7am to 6pm
• Sunday 25 April 2027: 7am to 12pm
• Auction, Thursday 22 and Friday 23 April 2027: starts at 10am each day

The event is held rain or shine. Wednesday is the first day. Standard admission and parking apply, and the organizer describes it as the day with the most room to shop and the most time with vendors. It is also the preview day for the auction.

Sunday is load-out day. Admission is free, and the gates are open from 7am to noon.

Spring Carlisle 2028 is already scheduled for 19 to 23 April 2028.

Tickets

The Spring Carlisle event page lists:

• Daily admission: $13, free on Sunday
• Event pass: $38
• Children 12 and under: free
• General parking: $10

Buying online saves money. The organizer says you pay full price at the gate. Online tickets come as mobile tickets, and packages of a spectator ticket with general parking are sold too. Carlisle Events is the only authorized seller. Its ticket provider is SquadUp.

Gate discounts:

• Military. $5 off a single-day ticket at the gate for active duty, reserve and retired members with a valid military ID. It covers the ID holder’s ticket only.
• Students. Students 13 and up with a current school ID pay $5 for a day ticket, in person on the day only.

Season pass. A 2027 season pass covers every Carlisle Events show. The regular price is $89.99.

Holiday sale. From Friday 27 November 2026 to 5pm on 4 January 2027, the organizer takes 20% off single and multi-day tickets. The season pass drops to $71.99, or $69.99 for AACA members.

Auction bidders. A two-day bidder’s pass costs $100. It admits you and a guest to the auction, including preview day, and gives the registered bidder all five days of Spring Carlisle. Spring Carlisle admission also gets you into the auction to watch.

Parking

General parking in a Carlisle Events lot is $10 a day. Spectators enter the Carlisle Events lot from Clay Street. Trailers and campers enter at 119 Carlisle Springs Road. Gate 1 (Clay Street, next to the school) and Gate 3 (K Street) are the fairgrounds entrances.

Accessible parking is at every event. Go to Gate 3 and an attendant will direct you. Trailer parking is also available.

The organizer warns that lots can reach capacity at busy times and suggests having a backup plan. A ticket and parking package bought online holds your space in advance.

Dry camping with no hookups is allowed during the event, with two bathhouses on the grounds. The camping fee is per event, not per day.

What to see

The flea market. Parts, accessories, literature, signs, coin-ops and automobilia spread across the fairgrounds. Every space has a disc on the ground marked with a letter and number.

The car corral. Owners sell cars directly, from classics to late models. Every car must be for sale and running, and none can sit on a trailer. A notary is on site, and Guest Services has a contact list for anything else you need to close a deal.

The auction. Carlisle Auctions expects more than 400 lots across two days, with bidding by phone, online and in person. Thursday includes an All-Truck Hour at about 3pm. Preview starts at 8am on the Wednesday before the auction and continues each auction morning. The Expo Center is at 100 K Street.

Manufacturers Midway. Vendors with new products and services.

ARMO Hot Products Showcase. SEMA’s restoration council shows the most sought-after restoration products in the big tent in front of the stage, on the north side of the grandstand.

Sell a car or parts

Car corral spaces are about 10 feet wide and 20 feet deep, outdoors, for the whole event. Vehicles cannot be unloaded on the grounds after Wednesday. Booking more than 45 days ahead gets a lower rate. Vendors who renew at the show, through the Friday after it, get 10% off.

Flea market vending spaces are booked through the same office at 717-243-7855. Vendors can text Spring to 717-998-9866 for vendor-only updates.

To consign at the auction, call Carlisle Auctions at 717-960-6400. Under the “Free Unless Sold” guarantee, most registration fees are refunded if a consigned collector car 25 years or older does not sell. Featured slots inside the Expo Center cost an extra $300.

Before you go

The organizer publishes a list of tips. Bring cash to negotiate, wear comfortable shoes and bring sunscreen and water. Photograph the space marker when you find something you want, rather than trying to remember the row. Come early for rare parts, and stay late for deals as vendors pack up.

Heavy parts do not have to be carried. Carlisle Events offers free parts hauling and a free taxi on the grounds at 717-960-6429. Donations go to the Chip Miller Amyloidosis Foundation. A temporary vehicle pass for picking up parts needs a $50 deposit and your driver’s license, and is not issued between 7am and 5pm on the Thursday.

Bikes, e-scooters, ATVs, side-by-sides and minibikes are not allowed. Golf carts need a physician’s note and approval in advance. Mobility scooters need no approval, and Scootaround rents them at Gate 3. Reserve one ahead at 1-888-441-7575.

Responsible drinking is permitted, but alcohol is not sold, and glass bottles are not allowed. Leashed pets are allowed but discouraged, and are kept out of the food court.

For a winter warm-up, Carlisle Events also runs Auto Mania, an indoor flea market and corral, from 15 to 17 January 2027 at the Agri-Plex Expo Center in Allentown.

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