Car shows and cars and coffee near Palo Alto

For a place full of engineers, Palo Alto is quiet on the car show front. The Palo Alto Concours d'Elegance has not had an edition since about 2012. No large show has replaced it inside city limits. Car people here drive to their shows. The good news is that the drive is short. Within about an hour you can reach a coastal airport packed with machines, a Corvette takeover of downtown Los Altos, a concours on a golf course above Burlingame and three hot rod weekends a year in Pleasanton.

This guide lists recurring car shows and cars and coffee meets that organizers or reputable press confirmed for 2025 or 2026. For each we give the latest confirmed date, the venue, how often it runs and how to get there from Palo Alto. When we checked on November 2, 2026, only one had posted a 2027 date.

The car show calendar

Pacific Coast Dream Machines, Half Moon Bay

This is the most unusual show in the region and the one most worth a special trip. Pacific Coast Dream Machines takes over Half Moon Bay Airport, 9850 Cabrillo Highway, for one Sunday each spring. The 2026 show, in its 32nd year, ran Sunday, April 26, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. In Flight USA described more than 2,000 machines, from vintage cars and custom builds to motorcycles, tractors and aircraft. Visit Half Moon Bay already lists the next show for Sunday, April 25, 2027, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The airport sits on the coast north of Half Moon Bay, about 30 miles from Palo Alto. Take Interstate 280 north to Highway 92 west, then Highway 1 north. Highway 92 backs up on spring weekends, so leave early. Ticket prices change each year, so check the Visit Half Moon Bay event page for current links. Our Half Moon Bay day trip guide has lunch ideas on the coast.

Corvette Spectacular, Los Altos

The closest real car show to Palo Alto is a one-make affair. Each September, Santa Clara Corvettes lines Main Street in downtown Los Altos with Corvettes of every generation. The 2026 show was set for Sunday, September 20, with a theme marking the 250th anniversary of the United States, according to the club's registration page. The Los Altos Village Association underwrites the event.

Spectators simply walk the downtown blocks. Downtown Los Altos is about 5 miles from Palo Alto by Foothill Expressway, an easy bike ride from south Palo Alto. Arrive by mid-morning, when the cars are parked and polished but the sidewalks are still calm. Our downtown Los Altos guide covers parking and breakfast spots. The 2027 date had not been posted in early November 2026.

Hillsborough Concours d'Elegance

For classic and prewar cars judged on originality and condition, the Hillsborough Concours is the Peninsula's long-running event. The show is held on the fairways of Crystal Springs Golf Course, 6650 Golf Course Drive, above Burlingame. The foundation's 2026 ticketing page listed Sunday, June 28, 2026. It noted that children 12 and under enter free with an adult and that onsite parking is free. Spectator prices were not shown on the page we checked, so look on the foundation's site in spring.

From Palo Alto, take Interstate 280 north about 18 miles and exit near the golf course. The drive along the reservoir is a pleasure in its own right. Our Burlingame guide lists restaurants for after the awards.

Goodguys in Pleasanton

For hot rods, muscle cars and customs, Goodguys Rod and Custom Association runs three weekends a year at the Alameda County Fairgrounds in Pleasanton. Its published 2026 schedule listed the 42nd All American Get-Together on March 28 and 29, the 39th West Coast Nationals on August 21 to 23 and the 36th Autumn Get-Together on November 14 and 15. The West Coast Nationals is the biggest of the three and the one Goodguys calls the crown jewel of its western season.

These are ticketed events with large show fields, vendor midways and autocross. Pleasanton is about 30 miles from Palo Alto. The usual route is the Dumbarton Bridge (Highway 84) and Interstate 680 north. The Dumbarton toll is collected westbound only, so you pay on the way home. Our bridges and tolls guide has current rates. If you are visiting without a car, you can compare rental cars for a show day.

Smaller shows and weekly meets

Saturday cars and coffee, Mountain View

The Northern California region of the Pierce-Arrow Society lists an open cars and coffee every Saturday from 7:30 to 10:30 a.m. at Bagel Street Cafe in Mountain View. The club says everyone is welcome. Expect a mix of classics and everyday enthusiast cars rather than a judged show. Informal meets can move with little notice, so check the club's page that week.

Festa Italiana, South San Francisco

South San Francisco's Festa Italiana in Orange Memorial Park, 1 West Orange Avenue, includes a car show alongside Italian food, music and a bocce tournament. The 2026 edition was Saturday, September 19, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., with free admission, according to the Mountain View Voice. It is about 23 miles north of Palo Alto. Our cultural festivals guide covers the festival itself.

Shows we left off

We did not list events we could not confirm for 2025 or 2026 on an organizer page or in reputable press. That includes the old Palo Alto Concours, which has had no edition since about 2012. We also skipped several monthly coffee meets that appear only on aggregator calendars. If you know of a recurring show near Palo Alto with a current official page, the meets listed in our clubs and meetups guide are a good place to ask around. On a rainy weekend, the Computer History Museum in Mountain View makes a good indoor alternative for anyone who likes machines. For the drive itself, our guide to driving to Palo Alto covers the main freeways and traffic patterns you will meet on the way to Pleasanton, the coast or the hills above Burlingame.

Frequently asked questions