‘If you love cars, you’ll love this event’: Camas Car Show returns to downtown Saturday

The Downtown Camas Association’s 18th annual Camas Car Show will take over downtown Camas this weekend with a full day of classic cars, live music, vendors, raffles and family-friendly entertainment.

“If you love cars, you’ll love this event,” Brie Marais, the association’s marketing and volunteer coordinator, said in a news release. “From classic cars and custom builds to music, dance and fun activities for kids, this event has something for everyone.”

The event is set for 2-7 p.m. Saturday throughout downtown Camas. Admission is free for spectators, but eventgoers are encouraged to bring a donation — the association suggests two cans of soup, macaroni and cheese, canned tuna, peanut butter or jam — to benefit the Camas-Washougal Inter-faith Treasure House food bank and receive a free raffle ticket for a chance to win prizes.

The entry fee to enter a classic or specialty vehicle in the show is $20, and vehicles will begin to enter the car show at noon from the intersection of Northeast Fifth Avenue and Adams Street. Registration forms can be found at downtowncamas.com/event/camas-car-show. The Downtown Camas Association will present goodie bags to the first 100 vehicle owners and dash plaques for the first 250 vehicles.

Along with the classic awards, including Best in Show, People’s Choice, Best Custom, Best Muscle Car, Best Bike and Most Authentic Vintage, this year’s show has two new award categories: Best Display and Most Likely to be Photographed.

Camas Mayor Steve Hogan will choose and present the award for this year’s Best in Show vehicle, which will also be featured on next year’s Camas Car Show poster.

The 2024 Best in Show trophy went to Camas residents Jerry and Mary Sauer for their 1970 Plymouth Cuda with “Rallye Red” exterior and matching red interior.

The Sauers were among several Camas-Washougal residents who won big at the 2024 car show. Paul Cox, of Camas, won the 2024 People’s Choice trophy for his 1965 Ford Mustang. Janelle and Richard Cummins, also of Camas, won last year’s Top Truck award for their 1948 GMC pickup. The Best Daily Driver award went to Russell Palmeri, of Camas, for his 1947 Chevy 3100. Darlene and LeRoy Naffin, of Camas, won the Most Authentic Vintage trophy for their 1934 Ford pickup.

Other local winners included Vlad Lo, of Camas, who won the Best Bike award for a 1985 USSR MT-11; Denette Sundby, of Washougal, who took home the Best Modern Muscle trophy for her 2019 Dodge Challenger Red Eye; Vic and Laurie Rasmussen, of Camas, who won the Best Muscle Car trophy for their 1966 Chevelle; and Brad and Sandy McEntire, of Camas, who won the Best Modern Custom trophy for their 1973 Plymouth Duster.

This year’s awards ceremony will take place at 6:30 p.m. Saturday at the corner of Northeast Fourth Avenue and Cedar Street.

The 2025 car show also will feature live music by The Boneheads; a Virtuosity Dance performance; The Honeybees performing a cappella oldies tunes; balloon art by Joe Mishkin; raffles; hot food vendors; and a car-themed coloring contest for children.

Like many popular Downtown Camas Association events, the annual car show is expected to draw thousands of visitors to downtown Camas, making it challenging to find parking. To help alleviate parking concerns, the association is partnering with C-Tran to offer a free shuttle service running every 15 to 20 minutes from 1:45-7:15 p.m. Saturday from Camas High School, 26900 S.E. 15th St., to the drop-off and pick-up location near the Camas Public Library, 625 N.E. Fourth Ave., in downtown Camas.

Kelly Moyer: 360-735-4674; kelly.moyer@columbian.com