Photo by David Witty
That is the appeal. Cars that might otherwise sit in museums, private collections, or major concours settings arrive in Highlands for a brief gathering. Visitors see them up close. They hear the stories. They notice the details that photographs flatten. The collection may never exist in the same arrangement again. Then, by late afternoon, the cars leave the field. The judged show at Kelsey-Hutchinson Founders Park is limited to approximately 85 cars. More than 150 applications came in for 2026. That number is not just a capacity issue. It is the result of a shift that has been years in the making. Steve described Founders Park as “a fabulous gift from the town,” but its size has shaped the festival as much as its location. The park keeps the show close to Main Street and close to the everyday life of Highlands. It also limits how far the organizers can expand. In the early days, the festival was more open-ended. Someone could arrive with a car, pay at the gate, receive a class assignment, and join the field. It had a looser local rhythm. At the end of the day, everyone went home.
Now, owners apply. They submit information. The cars are reviewed, discussed, and selected. The field is smaller than it was in 2008, when the first festival drew roughly 124 cars, but the selection is far more deliberate. That change could have created distance between the festival and the local car community. Steve and Ricky know that. It is part of why Sunday’s High Octane gathering matters. It preserves the early “if you’ve got it, bring it” spirit while allowing the Saturday field to remain tightly curated.
SUMMER 2026
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