Event Coverage 2026 Lonestar Round Up

And that's it for me and my coverage of the 2026 Lonestar Round Up. Thanks for checking out the videos. I was able to make back about $85 of my $750 expenses lol. Might be time to try to find some sponsors again.

 

Excellent job, thanks for your efforts.

 

Hey Thanx for the Kool Vid!

 

Cool! Thank you!

 

Even from down under New Zealand we attended our first garage crawl and round up 16 years ago and have done many many since. But in our opinion the numbers have been steadily declining, vendors and entrants.the swap meet seems smaller. Why ? Still the top quality remains top quality, with plenty of cool cars and lots of regular attendees.

 

I think there were a couple of major factors that hurt this year. The forecast was for rain more than a week out, that keeps a lot of wimps away. The fuel prices are high, not higher than they've been but with the total inflation squeeze of the last few years, this fuel hike hurts more than the actual number at the pump implies.

Third, I think that there are just so many more events going on these days that when the hotels in Austin get more and more expensive as the population has exploded, the traffic is worse, etc. it's easy to take the show off of the "must attend every year" list.

That plus the fact that there's a lot less rat **** the last few years, means while the car count is down, the average quality is up.

A couple of vendors that I know don't go anymore. One was a huge vendor but the show just didn't do as well for them as other shows, so they don't come any more. One has retired, and the third is close to retirement and shortening their travel schedule.

Overall, I love the show still. I wish it was cheaper to attend for me, but fuel and hotels are up and that means that this weekend I'll just be making a day trip to one of my favorite shows instead of staying at the hotel all weekend. Luckily for me it's close enough that we can drive the 3 hours each way and attend the show in a single day.

 

Awesome thanks for reporting from the LoanStar some cool rides love that bronze colored 2 door caddie in your first video

 

We finally watched it last night and enjoyed letting you do the walking for us.

There are several factors involved and I mentioned some of them in an earlier post but Lone Star Roundup is high on the list for the Been there done that mark it off the list brigade.
Then they have their "feature car area" and the out side that fence Cheap seats where participants are lined up in a section of parking lot that some guys may view as demeaning. Meaning that as in 90 % of the rod trots getting up at early dark thirty to be at the front of the line to enter before daylight doesn't mean you will get a good spot as the good spots are given to cars that the club putting it on pick.

Vendors? at any event you have to have enough sales of what you are selling to show a profit to make it worth paying the fees and going. Not selling enough or not getting enough work from those you spent the weekend talking to over the next few months may be an issue. Or as Ryan said once maning a booth by yourself all weekend is just flat too much for one person.

It's still on my list to take my 48 to and it doesn't really matter where they stick me when I get there. I'll go to have fun and hopefully visit with a few old friends.

 

It seems to me alot of shows have not quite reached the numbers we saw pre covid for whatever reasons.. As a participant & spectator I actually dont mind a bit. Its not the madhouse it was for a few years. Still packed with great cars & people. The lines for a beer or hot dog arent as long.
You can cruise Congress and get a parking spot again. Go see some music at C Boys & The Continental Club.
Yeah the vendors were down a bit, but we still saw some top notch art work & my wife bought a really nice hand made real denim jacket. The swap seemed fairly normal but to be honest I dont usually spend to much time walking that. Im usually just looking for smalls or some collectible BS & let my lady do some "shopping".
I say if you're on the fence, its well worth the price of admission & then some. We're lucky to have one of the best events in the hot rod & kustom scene. We should all show up & support if we care to see this tradition continue.
Spread the word, tell some friends. Bring some friends & show em what its all about. Thats what got me hooked on this **** in my early 20's.
As always, thanks for your efforts & coverage Travis. See yall next year !

 

The excitement around the 2026 Lone Star Round Up is real - there are some seriously impressive trucks in the lineup. I’ve been checking the thread regularly and it never gets old. After getting my fill of automotive stuff, I usually look for something lighter to unwind. Lately that’s been e-wallet pokies, such as reviewed here. Really convenient and enjoyable when you want a quick session.