Street Rod Nationals Roll Into Louisville

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (July 31, 2023) – This week, one of the most anticipated summer traditions returns when Louisville gears up for the annual August gathering of hundreds of brightly colored street rods and vintage automobiles wheeling around town as the city welcomes back the National Street Rod Association’s (NSRA) Annual Street Rod Nationals, August 3-6, at the Kentucky Exposition Center (KEC). This year’s gathering will mark the 54th anniversary of this popular summer ritual. Louisville has hosted the group for 29 years, with this year being the 26th consecutive year the city has put out the welcome mat.

Typically, this event is one of the world’s largest automotive participation events, generating nearly $11 million in estimated economic impact for Louisville’s local community from this four-day show. This year's Street Rod Nationals is estimated to turn out 30,000 participants and more than 10,000 street rods, customs, classics and muscle cars from all fifty states. No other event in the world attracts the number and quality of specialty cars thirty years old and older.

Vehicles in attendance range in value from $20,000 to $150,000 with the average being approximately $35,000. The total value of the street rods attending will be more than $250 million. All of the street rods, custom and classic cars will be on display for public viewing.

Along with all the cars on display, the four-day event includes product seminars, a trade show, arts and crafts fair, a vintage auto parts swap meet, entertainment by Caribou on Saturday at 2:30pm and music by Sunday Drive, which will perform Southern Gospel Music during an all-denomination church service on Sunday at 10am.

This year’s event will once again include a special area called “Builder’s Showcase” displaying cars built by the top professional rod shops in the country. The Showcase offers a rare opportunity to see these vehicles under one roof at the same time.

All NSRA activities are open to the public. Tickets are $19 for adults (13 and older), $6 for children (6 – 12). Children five and under are free when accompanied by an adult. A $40 Family Pack ticket price is available for two adults and three children. A special discounted $17.00 admission is available for military personnel with proper military identification and NSRA members with a current membership card or anyone 60 years of age or older. One discounted admission per person. Discount tickets are on sale at O’Reilly Auto Parts and will be available during the event at the Kentucky Exposition Center.

Advance tickets are available at the Kentucky Exposition Center Box Office.
Show hours are: Thurs., Aug 3, 8am – 5pm, Fri., Aug. 4 and Sat., Aug. 5, 8am – 7pm, and Sun., Aug. 6, 8am – 12:30pm.

For more information, contact: Craig Meads, NSRA marketing director, (417) 827-0099, cmeads@nsra-usa.com or visit www.nsra-usa.com.

Guests can use Louisville Tourism’s annual Visitor Guide to see the city's top attractions, culinary hotspots and bourbon distilleries. Travelers also can get attraction, lodging and dining assistance at gotolouisville.com.