Sacramento Autorama 2026
May 1–3, 2026 at Cal Expo: 75th annual Sacramento Autorama hours, ticket prices, indoor customs plus outdoor Drive-In, and how it differs from Bay Area auto shows.
- May 1–3, 2026
- Cal Expo
Sacramento, CA - paid
This event has moved to the archive. Details below are kept for reference — confirm any future edition on the organizer’s site.
The short version
The 75th Sacramento Autorama filled Cal Expo May 1–3, 2026: Northern California’s long-running indoor custom, hot-rod, and lowrider weekend rather than a new-car dealer floor. Rod Shows listed public hours 10:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m. each day, general admission at $30 (ages 13+) and $10 (ages 6–12), with ages 5 and under free. Organizers billed more than 500 judged vehicles inside the buildings plus an outdoor Autorama Drive-In around Building A, densest Saturday–Sunday. Friday was the quieter builder-meet day if you hate shoulder-to-shoulder aisles. For Bay Area households it is an I-80 day trip with different metal than Silicon Valley Auto Show or Wekfest San Jose: customs and chrome, not trim-level shopping.
Background
Rod Shows stages Sacramento Autorama as a multi-decade Cal Expo custom weekend. The 2026 edition marked 75 years with Custom d’Elegance and Worlds Most Beautiful Low Rider award lanes: Sacramento custom culture on State Fairgrounds asphalt, not a Peninsula concours lawn.
Verified details
- Weekend: May 1–3, 2026 (concluded).
- Hours (organizer): 10:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m. each day.
- Venue: Cal Expo, 1600 Exposition Blvd, Sacramento, CA 95815.
- Admission (2026 listing): $30/day ages 13+; $10 ages 6–12; 5 and under free.
- Parking (2026 Rod Shows listing): $10/vehicle at main gate; Cal Expo rate subject to change.
- Products: indoor judged show + outdoor Autorama Drive-In (weekend densest).
Planning tips
- Buy the day you will walk. Three full days of Cal Expo concrete is a lot unless you are deep in the custom community.
- Friday is the calm day for talking to builders; Saturday–Sunday densify when the outdoor Drive-In fills.
- Cal Expo parking was listed at $10 per vehicle on the 2026 Rod Shows page (rate subject to change). Leaving the lot usually means buying parking again even with a hand stamp for re-entry.
- Only service dogs. Outside food and drinks beyond water bottles are not allowed on Cal Expo premises per organizer FAQ.
- Do not confuse this with Silicon Valley Auto Show (new vehicles in Santa Clara) or Monterey Car Week (collector tickets down the coast).
- Reconfirm next year’s dates on rodshows.com/sacramento-autorama/. The May Cal Expo slot is traditional, not guaranteed forever.
Common questions
- When was Sacramento Autorama 2026?
- May 1–3, 2026 at Cal Expo, 10:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m. daily. Watch rodshows.com/sacramento-autorama/ for the next edition’s dates and tickets.
- Is Autorama a new-car auto show?
- No. It is a judged custom, hot-rod, muscle, truck, motorcycle, and lowrider weekend. For new-vehicle shopping in the Bay, use Silicon Valley Auto Show at Santa Clara Convention Center instead.
- Which day should I go?
- Friday for thinner crowds and easier builder conversations. Saturday or Sunday if you want the outdoor Drive-In field packed between the buildings.
- Is it worth the drive from the Bay Area?
- Yes if your household cares about customs and lowriders. Plan 90–120 minutes each way from much of the East Bay or South Bay depending on I-80 traffic, plus a full Cal Expo afternoon.
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