Autofest Nationals car show leaving Oshawa for Elgin Park this summer

DARRYL KNIGHT The Standard

UXBRIDGE: After 30 years at Lakeview Park in Oshawa, the popular Autofest Nationals car show will be heading to North Durham this summer, with the recent announcement, the event will relocate to Uxbridge’s Elgin Park.

In late January, the Motor City Car Club which runs the event, released a statement explaining their reasons for the move. The statement included wishes to expand the event beyond the constraints at Lakeview Park, as well as competition from other events, and users of the popular space on the shores of Lake Ontario.

The inaugural edition of the event in Uxbridge is scheduled for the weekend of August 24th and 25th, 2024.

“Elgin Park is known for its spacious rolling landscapes and beautiful scenery. It’s the perfect backdrop for our Autofest Nationals. The site is considerably larger than we’re accustomed to and allows us to offer limited camping, a Saturday evening concert in the onsite bandshell, five times more parking, and even more shade trees. The town of Uxbridge has welcomed us with open arms. They are as excited to have us as we are to be there,” the Club statement read.

Uxbridge Tourism Coordinator, Katlyn Jones was enthusiastic when discussing this latest edition to the summer lineup at Elgin Park which has played host to the Bonner Boys classic car show, on Thursday nights, for more than a decade.

“Everyone is pretty excited about the news,” said Ms. Jones. “We think it’s going to be a great addition to an already great lineup of events at Elgin Park. People seem pretty excited because everyone here really has an affinity for classic cars.”

Ms. Jones added, the setting at Elgin Park will not only aid Autofest Nationals in their goals to expand the event but also offer a great atmosphere for presenters and visitors alike.

“Elgin Park is really great for car shows and large events because there’s so much space. There’s a lot of space for spectators to walk around, as well as for the cars to park. It also has a lot of shade which is really important for classic cars. They can’t be out in the sun all day and all night. The shade really helps with that, I think.”