SPCA CAR SHOW

MUDDY CARZ REVIEW

2026

12th Annual SPCA Car Show Fundraiser — Harleysville, PA

That time of year again! Time for the SPCA Car Show in Harleysville. Guess what? I DO remember where NOT to park!

I arrived a little early with the Bloodline Edition Camaro and tried to grab a spot similar to where I parked in 2025, but this time without the tree overhead.

This year’s original event date was rained out, so we were postponed until the following week. Normally, that’s not a big deal, but this year’s weather has been wreaking havoc on car shows all season long. Shows keep getting postponed and rescheduled, which can really throw a wrench into everyone’s plans. But hey, we had great weather today, so that was a good start!

The first thing I noticed as I pulled into the show? I didn’t get attacked by the paparazzi camera guy! 😂

The cars started rolling in steadily around 7:30 a.m. I guess people were having withdrawal symptoms from all the car shows getting postponed this year. The steady procession eventually slowed to a crawl, and the final car count looked to be about half of last year’s attendance.

Once again, I’d blame the weather and all the postponements. When shows get pushed back, they can end up competing with other events that would normally be spread out over several weekends. Unfortunately, that can make it tough for both the organizers and the car owners trying to attend.

We did have Executive Collision, a Muddy Carz sponsor, show up with their awesome C10 pickup. That truck has some of the best clear coat over patina I’ve seen in person! With a smaller crowd this year, it was also a little easier to socialize and check out some rides I hadn’t seen at this event before.

Not much else has changed with the show, although there was a small improvement in the food department. The same food truck was back, but this time Walmart had a hot dog vendor set up outside their doors, selling hot dogs to benefit the local scouts.

Now we’re talking! I’m in! 🌭

The show continued to offer a good variety of raffles, gift baskets, prizes, and a 50/50 drawing. They also stuck with the TOP 25 and eight specialty awards, which worked out well given the lower attendance this year. And don’t forget that GRAND PRIZE: a $400 Home Depot gift card for a registered show participant!

All in all, it was another great day hanging out in the Walmart parking lot, checking out some cool cars, and catching up with friends. The weather cooperated, the atmosphere was good, and the show was supporting a worthwhile cause.

In the voice of the Terminator…

“I’ll be back!”

MUDDY CARZ REVIEW

2025

11th Annual SPCA Car Show Fundraiser — Harleysville, PA

This was my first year checking out the 11th Annual SPCA Car Show Fundraiser at the Walmart parking lot in Harleysville. Since this was only my second year attending car shows, I never came across this event last year (2024). So when it popped up in my search for this year’s shows, I had to add it to my must-attend list to see what it was all about.

I have to say… it didn’t disappoint!

I arrived a little early. Registration started at 8 a.m., but I pulled in around 7. As I followed the car show signs into the parking lot, I was ambushed by a photographer! He jumped up from his seat along the side of the lot and motioned for me to stop. Apparently, they have someone there taking pictures of all the cars as they arrive. Pretty cool!

Not knowing the layout of the parking lot or how the show was set up put me at a slight disadvantage when it came to figuring out where to park. I pulled into a spot about four rows from the registration tent, under a small tree at the end of the row. Boy, did I think I’d found a great spot! Wrong.

It was peak season for trees in our area to drop seeds and leaves. And guess where they ended up? All over the Bloodline Edition Camaro! Good thing it’s a coupe and not a convertible. Can you imagine trying to clean that mess out of an open interior?

As far as the show itself goes, the only restrooms available were inside Walmart, which meant walking from the lower parking lot all the way up to the store. Honestly, though, it wasn’t as bad as it sounds. The restrooms were indoors, air-conditioned, and fairly clean. No porta-john mess or smell to deal with! So, other than the little walk, it worked out just fine.

Registration was a breeze, as it is at most car shows. They had plenty of raffles, gift baskets, prizes, and a 50/50 drawing. The music was simply someone’s iPhone hooked up to a Bluetooth speaker, which was fine. The only downside was that some areas of the show were out of range of the speaker, so you couldn’t hear much.

Now, when it comes to food, I think this is one area where they could use a little improvement. They had one food truck, which I initially thought was a great idea. That is, until I checked out the menu. It was all BBQ!

To be 100% honest, I’m a pretty picky eater. Give me the basics, and I’m usually happy: hamburgers, hot dogs, snacks, and the usual car show food. BBQ just isn’t my thing, so I would’ve liked to see a few more options available.

Now, you might think a smaller event like this can’t compete with the bigger shows when it comes to awards. Well, think again! The organizers limit registration to around 200 cars, and from what I could see, they were pretty close to filling the lot. They offered a TOP 25, along with around eight specialty awards. Not bad for a smaller car show!

Oh, and did I mention the GRAND PRIZE? One lucky registered show participant would win a $400 Home Depot gift card! That’s a pretty nice prize to take home.

Overall, this was a pretty good show, and I’m glad I decided to check it out. There’s a lot to like, from the raffles and awards to the fundraiser itself. Sure, there’s a little room for improvement, but nothing that would keep me away.

Will I be back in 2025? You bet! And this time, I know exactly where NOT to park!