Car Show

For the first time in over 30 years, the 2025 North Carolina Pickle Festival this April will go on without a classic car show. We extend our heartfelt thanks to the Wayne County Cruisers, who coordinated this part of our festival for nearly all of this time. The classic cars they attracted were always a huge festival favorite, and the show was generally among the largest in the region.

Our decision to part ways was a mutual one, and from the festival’s perspective, it was based on safety.

Many car show entrants arrive well after the festival starts at 9 am, and all leave well before the festival ends at 6 pm. Allowing upwards of 150 cars into and out of the festival footprint – while hundreds of pedestrians mill about – has grown into a significant safety issue. This is particularly true in today’s environment where perimeter security for outdoor events is of paramount importance.

Our law enforcement and emergency management partners have expressed concern about this arrangement for some time. We made some adjustment to the placement of the car show in 2024, but ultimately it did not satisfactorily address the needs of the car show and the concerns of the festival. Recent conversations with an alternate car club led us to the same mutual conclusion – the typical car show schedule no longer fits with the festival’s need for security.

We deeply appreciate the work and effort of the Wayne County Cruisers over these many years, and we wish them well moving forward.