Carlisle Car Shows 2027: Full Schedule and Planning Tips
Carlisle, Pennsylvania is a small town with a very big place in the car hobby. The Carlisle Fairgrounds hosts a season of brand-focused shows and giant flea markets, and the 2027 calendar is already out. Here is the schedule and how to choose.
As shown on the Carlisle Events schedule page at time of writing, the 2027 events are: Auto Mania indoor flea market and corral, January 15 to 17, in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Spring Carlisle flea market, corral and auction, April 21 to 25, with the Spring Carlisle Collector Car Auction on April 22 and 23 at the Carlisle Expo Center. Carlisle Import and Performance Nationals, May 14 and 15. Carlisle Ford Nationals, June 4 to 6. Carlisle GM Nationals, June 25 and 26. Carlisle Chrysler Nationals, July 9 to 11. Carlisle Truck Nationals, August 6 to 8. Corvettes at Carlisle, August 26 to 28. And Fall Carlisle flea market, corral and auction, September 29 to October 3, with the Fall Carlisle Collector Car Auction on September 30 and October 1. Except where noted, these are at the Carlisle Fairgrounds.
Spring and Fall Carlisle are the big flea markets. The organiser calls Spring Carlisle one of the largest automotive flea markets in the world and says it has 8,100 vending spaces; that is the organiser's own claim. Alongside the flea market there is a Car Corral where people sell vehicles directly to buyers, and the collector car auction. The organiser's page says cars in the Car Corral must be for sale and in running condition, and that unloading is not allowed after Wednesday. If you plan to sell, read those rules before you load the trailer.
The brand shows are a different experience. Each celebrates one family of cars: Ford, GM, Chrysler, imports, trucks and Corvettes. They are built around a showfield of owner-registered cars, with vendors, a car corral and displays. The Ford Nationals is described by the organiser as the largest all-Ford show in the world, with a showfield of more than 3,400 spots. Our guides to Corvette and Mustang shows go deeper: /discover/blog/corvette-shows-usa-2027 and /discover/blog/mustang-shows-usa-2027.
Who does it suit? Parts hunters, restorers and anyone who loves wandering aisles of vendors. Owners who want to show their car among others of the same marque. Buyers and sellers who prefer to deal face to face. And fans of a particular brand who want a weekend full of it. The fairgrounds have hosted car shows since 1982, according to coverage of Corvettes at Carlisle, so there is a lot of experience behind the event.
How should you plan? Choose your event, then check the event page for hours, tickets and registration. Carlisle Events offers pre-registration for the showfield, and the Ford Nationals and Corvettes pages mention a saving if you register before a stated deadline and that pre-registration stays open until the Monday of event week. Hotels in the Carlisle area fill up fast around these dates, and Carlisle Events lists a preferred hotel booking number on its site. Book early, and consider staying a little further out.
Tips for first-timers. Wear comfortable, broken-in shoes: the fairgrounds are large. Bring a wagon for parts, a tape measure and part numbers. Walk the whole flea market once before you buy, then return for the pieces you want. Take cash for small vendors, sunscreen, rain gear and water. And if you are showing a car, arrive early with your paperwork ready.
If you can only make one Carlisle event, choose by what you want to do. For parts hunting, the Spring and Fall flea markets are the obvious picks, and the spring and fall auctions add a chance to see consigned cars. For a day among one brand, pick the Nationals event for your make. For a mix of everything, the larger events give you a bit of each. Whichever you choose, read the event page for hours, because they differ by day, and check the vendor and showfield registration deadlines if you plan to take part. It also pays to download the event app that Carlisle Events mentions, which holds the guide and tickets.
Running your own show? Car Show Expert handles registration, check-in, judging and awards, from a small club show to a multi-class event. Create a free account at /sign-up or try the demo at /demo. For more on how registration works, see /discover/guides/car-show-registration.
Dates are as shown on the Carlisle Events schedule at time of writing and can change. Confirm with Carlisle Events before you travel.