Annual San Francisco Auto Show

Each Thanksgiving, Bay Area car lovers get a very special dessert for their holiday feast: a generous portion of cool automobiles at the annual San Francisco International Auto Show. For well over fifty years, this auto show has been the official kickoff to the holiday season for Bay Area car collectors and lovers of all things automotive. For most attendees, it is their first opportunity to see next year’s models, as well as the newest automotive gadgets and accessories and vintage beauties of yesteryear. The event typically lasts from Thanksgiving Day through the following Monday, making the Moscone Convention Center the place to be while the unenlightened are shopping and watching football. While the lineup of special attractions varies from year to year, visitors can rely on seeing and experiencing:

  • Ride & drives with major auto manufacturers –
    Depending on the car and the manufacturer, attendees can either ride in the newest models, drive them or both! For a full lineup of manufacturers, the cars offered and the schedule, check out the official SF Int’l Auto Show website at http://www.sfautoshow.com/show-info/.
  • The 20th Century Cavalcade of Cars –
    Each year, the Academy of Art University rolls out dozens of beautifully designed and crafted classic cars and puts them on display. You may not be able to ride and drive them, but you can definitely gaze wistfully at them for as long as you’d like.
  • The San Francisco Auto Salon –
    This event features fantastic custom cars from Bay Area residents. From rolling museum pieces to tricked-out late model rides and everything in-between, you’ll find it here.
  • Hot rods from Dominator Street Rods –
    Got chrome? These hot rods most definitely do and lots of it.
  • The Auto Accessory Fair –
    If the custom rides presented at the Show inspire you to customize your own, this is the place to look for the newest/latest in automotive accessories to make your dream a reality!
  • And more!

Tickets are around $10 and are available only at the venue. The Show runs from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. through the holiday weekend and until 8 p.m. on Monday. Kids 12 and younger are admitted free with a paying adult and there is plenty of parking in the Convention Center lots. If you prefer public transportation, you’ll want to ride BART to the Powell or New Montgomery Street stations. So if you’re looking for something to do after your family get-together this Thanksgiving weekend, head down to the Moscone Center. You’ll be driven to distraction for sure!