Frequently Asked Questions about the Nationals

“Do I need to be there two or three days?”      No.

Outdoor classes and spectators may attend one, two, or even three days.  All indoor classes must arrive on Thursday for load-in.  Indoor vendors with a lot of bulky items to unload, may want to arrive on Wednesday, in order to be able to unload closer to your booth before the show cars arrive on Thursday.  Camaro load-in will take preference over vendor load-in. 

If you want to participate in the Annual Kick-Off Cruise, you will need to arrive before 4 on Thursday.

Viewing the cars in the Classic Auto Mall will take several hours in itself, but for those with a tight schedule, or those that live within an hour or two of the show, you can certainly arrive Saturday morning, clean up your car, look around a bit, vote for you favorite cars, attend the awards, and head for home by 5 or 6pm the same day.

“Is there a fee for spectators?”     

Spectator admission is $5 for adults, to defray the costs of parking layout, trash removal, clean up etc.  Excess show proceeds are donated to Charity.  With the help of our Charity Auction, we donated $17,000 in 2023!  Food trucks are on site for lunch.

Is there “Day of Show” registration available?   Yes.

New registrations are welcome Friday 8am-3pm and Saturday 8am – noon.  Any arrivals after 12 noon on Saturday will not be able to participate in any levels of judging.   We have room for over 750 cars on the north side of the Classic Auto Mall, so there is there is plenty of room for everyone.  With 500 Camaros our first year in Morgantown, and 604 in 2023, we could easily see  650 cars in 2024.    Keep in mind, that the Heartbeat Class is limited in size. 

Day of Show registrants will be able to enter Outdoor Non Judged, or Participant Vote Classes; and possibly Heartbeat Judged class, if the cut off has not been reached.  If you want to be sure to get into Heartbeat, we suggest you pre-register.  Email info@camaronationals.org to check current number of openings in judged classes.

“How do I get my Camaro inside one of the exhibit halls?”

 There are two types of Camaros in the Exhibit Halls….Concours judged, and Non-Judged Display Cars. The Classic Headquarters Exhibit hall is reserved or our Concours judging classes, and a few invited cars. Check out the class requirements for the concours classes, if you have an early survivor or upper-end restored Camaro.   Non-Judged and Special Display cars are reserved on a first come-first registered basis for the limited number of spaces available in the Wheel Craft Exhibit Hall.  The spaces are usually filled by February or March, but things do sometimes change.   If the on-line registration shows Full or  Sold Out, you can email ‘info@camaronationals.org’ and ask to be put on a waiting list.   

“How many seats are available for the Friday Classic Headquarters Banquet & Saturday Night Banquet?”      200

The Ballroom can only seat 200, so when the seats are sold out, they are gone.  The Friday night banquet sells out every year, and the Saturday night banquet is growing quickly, so don’t wait if you would like to attend.  Registrants who reserve seats at the banquets will receive wrist bands with their registration envelope.  Bands must be worn to enter the banquet and the buffet line.

Can I attend the Charity Auction if I didn’t attend the banquet?     Yes

We open the room to everyone after dinner,  at the start of the Auction.  There are lots of great donations every year….things like a set of Repro tires, an EZ-Up Tent,  Spoilers,  Consoles, children’s  toys, die casts, detailing kits & waxes, books, wine, Hot Wheels, Johnny Lightnings, Model kits, Posters & Art, Tee shirts, and lots more.   All funds raised at the auction go directly to charity.

I heard there was a rolling cruise.    Yes

The Kick-Off Cruise remains Thursday evening with line up around 4:45, and pull out around 5PM.  After a 30 to 40 minute ride,  we will again stop at “Shady Maple”, a PA Dutch store, market and Smorgasbord.  Those interested can stay for dinner before returning to the Classic Auto Mall.

Will there be parts vendors?    Yes

We had just under 50 vendors in 2023 – a nice selection of new and used parts and service vendors.  Our low-priced outdoor vendor spaces bring lots of local parts traders as well as larger vendors like Camaro Central, Heartbeat City, Hagerty Insurance, and Car Show Life.

July can get hot.  Will awards be out in the sun?    No

The Awards Ceremony will be indoors in the main hall between our two Exhibit Halls.  Just bring your folding chairs with you at 3pm.

I thought the show was three days in the past.        It still is.

We realized that advertising Thursday on websites and show calendars could be misleading to spectators, as Thursday involves a lot of arrivals and vendor set up, and not all the vendors are open, nor are the cars cleaned up for viewing.  Other than the Kick-Off Cruise on Thursday night, the Camaro Nationals really doesn’t kick into full gear until Friday morning.

Can I bring my Handicap Scooter?   Yes