Truck and Train Shows and Events of 2021
Also including other transportation shows as I find them. We are approaching Show season again, so here's a preliminary list of known upcoming Shows and events, along with tips of how to make the most of your trip(s). I have been to a few personally, and will try to provide as much info as possible for those. -April 8-10
Florida Tow Show - Orlando, Florida
Being held at the Hilton Orlando Buena Vista Palace.
https://floridatowshow.com/ Nearby Attractions: Disney World, which for those not particularly a fan of the theme park aspect, they have a behind the scene tour of the Monorail and Magic Kingdom Railroad shops. Sea World and Universal Studios are also nearby, for theme park fans.
Truck and Train spotting targets are also readily available, with Orlando featuring CSX, Florida Central, Amtrak, and Sunrail.
Truck spotting is also good - large amounts of distribution action for the various and extensive Parks and resorts/hotels.
Highway 4 and the Florida Turnpike are also good spots.
-April 23-25
23rd Annual 75 Chrome Shop Truck Show - Wildwood, Florida
Held at the 75 Chrome Shop
https://www.75chromeshop.com/truck-show/
May 1-3
West Virginia Railroad Photo Charters - Cass and Romney, West Virginia
Two events in one - first at Cass Scenic Railroad, and second at the Potomac Eagle Railroad
https://www.lerrophotography.com/workshop-tour/cass-scenic-railway-photo-charter/
-May 7-8
Midwest Pride in Your Ride Truck & Tractor Show - Earlville, Iowa
At the Tri-State Raceway
http://midwestprideinyourride.org/
-May 6-8
Kenly 95 8th Annual East Coast Truckers Jamboree - Kenly, North Carolina
At the Kenly 95
https://kenly95.com/trucker-jamboree/
Nearby Attractions: Truck spotting galore - the Kenly 95 obviously, also the Pilot across the street and the Flying J across the Highway. Right on I-95 which stays slam-packed with cool rigs. Also see Big Boy’s Truck Stop, one exit south of the Kenly 95. On the same exit is Manheim NC Auto Auction, with lots of car hauler action.
Train spotting is also good - right down the highway in Selma, you have Selma Station, which hosts several passenger trains daily from Amtrak and NCDOT.
Adjoining the station is the diamond for CSX’s South End Subdivision and Norfolk Southern’s H-Line. CSX is the busier. NS also has a yard there, and serves the huge Bailey Feed Mill.
-May 15-16
Historic Jefferson Train Show - Jefferson, Texas
At the Jefferson Event Center
https://historicjeffersontrainshow.com/
-June 3-5
ATHS National Convention & Truck Show - Harrisonburg, Virginia
At the Rockingham County Fairgrounds
-June 3-6
Wheel Jam Truck Show - Huron, South Dakota
At the South Dakota State Fair Park
http://www.wheeljamtruckshow.com/
-June 5
Joplin 44 Truckers Jamboree - Joplin, Missouri
At the Joplin 44 Petro
https://joplin44.com/
-June 11-12
Oak Grove Truckers Jamboree - Oak Grove, Missouri
At the Oak Grove Petro
https://oakgrovepetro.com/trucker-jamboree/
-July 8-10
Walcott Truckers Jamboree - Walcott, Iowa
At the Iowa 80 Truckstop
https://iowa80truckstop.com/trucker-jamboree/
-July 23-25
Top Gun LargeCar Shootout - Rantoul, Illinois
At the Rantoul National Aviation Center
https://topgunlargecarshootout.com/
-August 6-8
Carlisle Truck Nationals - Carlisle, Pennsylvania
At the Carlisle Fairgrounds
https://www.carlisleevents.com/events/schedule (click the “Download Schedule” icon)
-August 13-14
Waupun Truck-n-Show - Waupun, Wisconsin
Hosted along Spring Street in Waupun
http://waupuntrucknshow.com/index.html
-August 13-14
Great Salt Lake Kidney Kamp Truck Show - Lehi, Utah
At Thanksgiving Point
http://www.saltlaketruckshow.com/
-August 21-22 (Rescheduled Date)
Carillon Park Rail Festival - Dayton, Ohio
At the Carillon Historical Park
http://railfestival.com/
-August 23-28
NRHS (National Railway Historical Society) National Convention - Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Host hotel unknown at present
-September 10-11
Big Iron Classic - Kasson, Minnesota
At the Dodge County Fairgrounds
https://bigironclassic.com/
-September 11
Annual Cable Truck Show - Saltzburg, Pennsylvania
At CTI/Cable Trucking
http://www.cticoordinators.com/news.html
-September 16-18
Richard Crane Memorial Truck Show - St. Ignace, Michigan
In Downtown St. Ignace
https://stignace.com/event/annual-st-ingnace-truck-show/
-September 18
TRPNC (Towing & Recovery Professionals of North Carolina) Tow Truck and Trade Show - Hickory, North Carolina
At the Hickory Convention Center.
I have visited Hickory several times, so here's a few visiting tips: for train-spotting action, be sure to check out the Caldwell County Railroad, who runs vintage EMD geeps still in Family Lines System livery.
Also visit the Southeastern Narrow Gauge & Shortline Museum in Newton, NC.
The CWCY interchanges with the NS's Asheville District main right in Hickory.
Truck-spotting is also plentiful, with I-40 and US-321 both passing through, and lots of various distribution centers scattered around the area.
For a great lunch or dinner spot, I'd highly suggest Lineberger's Cattle Company Steakhouse in Sherrills Ford. Their steaks and grilled chicken are fantastic Fries are good, too.
-September 23-25
GBATS (Guilty By Association Truck Show) - Joplin, Missouri
At 4 State Trucks - home of the Chrome Shop Mafia
https://www.chromeshopmafia.com/
-October 7-8
Cumbres & Toltec Rio Grande Photo Special - Chama, New Mexico
At the Cumbres & Toltec and along their line.
-October 8-10
Nevada Northern Railway Locomotive 81 Photo Special - Ely, Nevada
At the Nevada Northern Railway - featuring their newly restored 2-8-0 #81
-October 16
LargeCarMag Southern Classic - Raphine, Virginia
At White’s Travel Plaza
https://www.largecarmag.com/
-October 19
Cincinnati Daylight Express - one way trip with dome cars on Amtrak’s “Cardinal”
Boarding in Chicago, Illinois and debarking in Cincinnati, Ohio
http://www.railexco.com/cincinnati-daylight-express/
-October 21-24
Autumn Colors Express - not sure if one way or round trip.
Boards in Huntington, West Virginia, travels through the New River Gorge National Park and Charleston, WV, ending up in Hinton, WV in time for the Hinton Railroad Days Festival.
https://www.autumncolorexpresswv.com/
If anyone has an event they'd like me to add, just comment here on this thread with the info and a link, if possible. Thanks!
Updated 3/12/2021.