Portland Roadster Show Marks 70th Anniversary With Three-Day Event at Portland Expo Center This Weekend

A milestone for a volunteer-run Northwest institution

The Portland Roadster Show is celebrating its 70th anniversary with a three-day event scheduled for March 20–22, 2026, at the Portland Expo Center. The show has been produced by the Multnomah Hot Rod Council since 1956 and is organized as an all-volunteer, nonprofit event.

Organizers describe the Roadster Show as a long-running annual indoor automotive exhibition in the region, built around curated displays of custom cars, hot rods, trucks, and motorcycles. The anniversary edition also continues established program elements that have become central to the show’s identity, including a youth-focused High School Challenge.

What visitors can expect on the floor

For the 70th anniversary, the event plan centers on a mix of vehicle exhibitions, club participation, vendor areas, and scheduled programming. Organizers state that entries are selected from a large pool of applications, with a focus on craftsmanship and presentation across multiple automotive styles.

• Indoor displays featuring custom cars, hot rods, trucks, and motorcycles
• Vendor booths offering automotive products and services
• Car-club displays and additional themed exhibits
• High School Challenge programming tied to student-built vehicles and scholarships

Venue and operations

The Portland Roadster Show takes place at the Portland Expo Center, a major event venue in North Portland. Event operations are structured around exhibitor and vendor registration processes managed by the show’s organizers, while the venue supports the event with facility services.

Vendor participation is sold in booth-space increments, with standard inclusions such as event passes and parking allocations tied to the amount of space purchased. The event’s planning materials also outline a multi-tier sponsorship structure used to support operations and programming.

How the 70th anniversary fits into the show’s history

The 2026 edition marks seven decades since the Roadster Show began in 1956 under the stewardship of the Multnomah Hot Rod Council. Over time, the event has developed into a recurring focal point for the region’s automotive hobby community, combining vehicles built for performance, restoration, design, and display.

The anniversary framing underscores continuity: an annual show produced by volunteer organizers, returning to the same core format while expanding youth programming and exhibitor participation.

Timing

The 70th annual Portland Roadster Show is scheduled for March 20, 21, and 22, 2026, at the Portland Expo Center.