(This article by Ken Perrotte originally appeared in the March 2026 issue of Military Officer, a magazine available to all MOAA Premium and Life members who can log in to access our digital version and archive. Basic members can save on a membership upgrade and access the magazine.)

Car shows geared toward veterans and related causes have revved up across the U.S. in recent years. Featuring a gamut of vehicles vintage and new, the shows often involve veterans showcasing their rides or serving as judges.

The events can be opportunities to get together with fellow motor vehicle enthusiasts for camaraderie amid the waxed paint jobs and high-luster tires and interiors.

Here’s a look at three upcoming car shows.

Vettes for Willing Warriors (May 16 in Haymarket, Va.)

This show mostly brings together Corvette owners, although other brands participate in the field of 220-250 cars that enter for a spot on the lot.

According to the event’s website, all proceeds from the Vettes for Willing Warriors show go to the Warrior Retreat at Bull Run, a multi-home complex in Haymarket designed to provide free respite space and programs for servicemembers and their families.

“A lot of local clubs get involved in the show,” Chuck Berge, a Willing Warrior board member and show founder, told Military Officer. “We end up with about 1,000 people attending. About 60% of the car owners who come are veterans.”

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Berge said the fundraising aspect of the show is important, but that increasing public awareness of the nonprofit’s mission and programs is the main driver.

“We’re fortunate to have generous sponsors who assist financially with the event,” he said.

This year’s show is set for May 16, with a June 6 rain date. The show opens to the public at 10 a.m., with live music and lunch available. It concludes at 2 p.m.  

Cruis’n to End Homelessness (Multiple Locations, Virginia)

Also based in Virginia, the Vets on Track Foundation and the 610 Cruisers group stage an annual show that attracts hundreds of cars as well as many veteran car owners and enthusiasts. Proceeds benefit the foundation’s missions of ending homelessness among the veteran and first responder communities, significantly reducing suicides, and supporting families of the fallen.

Interest has been such that this year’s shows are extending to a six-event “Cruis’n to End Homelessness” series along Virginia’s Interstate 95 corridor, according to the foundation’s founder and CEO, Rick Ecker.

The series kicks off in April in the Fredericksburg area and ends in November at the Richmond Harley-Davidson dealership.

The Bastrop Area Cruisers host an annual car show in mid-November, with most proceeds donated to veterans’ groups. (Photo by Harry Harwood via Bastrop Area Cruisers)

Heroes and Hot Rods (Nov. 14 in Bastrop, Texas)

Everything is bigger in Texas, including veteran-affiliated car shows. Bastrop, a town southeast of Austin, hosts the annual Heroes and Hot Rods car show close to Veterans Day. The event includes the Bastrop Area Cruisers’ classic car show, staged in honor of veterans, and a special veterans march to the historic courthouse for a ceremony.

Bill Szelag, one of the show organizers, said the march is led by a bagpiper and a local ROTC unit carrying the colors. Weather permitting, a flyover featuring vintage military aircraft takes place. The 2025 show had more than 400 entries, including 120 veteran-owned vehicles.

“Our annual show is always the second weekend in November, closest to Veterans Day. So [in 2026] it will be on Saturday, Nov. 14,” he told Military Officer. “Of course, there are many other veterans who attend as spectators, and also quite a few members of our club are veterans.”

Szelag said the show usually raises about $40,000 to $50,000 annually, with no less than 80% donated to veterans’ support organizations and local ROTC groups. The remaining funds go to high school automotive scholarships, a local food pantry, and other local nonprofit assistance programs, he added.

Ken Perrotte is an Air Force veteran and outdoors writer.