Our Daily Show Interview! Alton Main Street!
ALTON – Alton Main Street will host their 28th annual All-Wheels Drive-In Car Show.
On Sunday, June 8, 2025, people from across the region will flock to 3rd and Belle Streets in downtown Alton for the car show and pinup contest. Registration for cars runs from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. Outlaw Opry will play music from 1–3 p.m. followed by the pinup contest from 3–4 p.m. and the awards ceremony at 4 p.m.
“We’ve built quite a following over the years,” said Sara McGibany, executive director of Alton Main Street. “We usually get somewhere around 250 hot rods, classics, motorcycles, so much so that we’ve been bursting at the seams the last couple of years.”
This year, Sugar Alley, the alley that runs parallel to 3rd Street, will hold another 30 cars. McGibany is excited about this expansion.
If you plan to enter your car for judging, it costs $20, or $10 to simply display your car. You must register in person between 8 a.m. and 12 p.m. on Saturday. Trophies will be given in 37 classes, as well as five specialty awards. The first 125 participants will receive a dash plaque and goodie bag.
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A vendor fair, 50/50 drawing, merchant sidewalk show and more will take place throughout the day. McGibany encourages people to grab lunch at one of the downtown restaurants or the food vendors and enjoy all of the shops on 3rd Street.
“We really encourage all our retailers to keep their doors open while we’re bringing these crowds of people to town,” McGibany noted. “Especially the car show, we have people come from as far away as Kentucky and Indiana. These car guys are on the circuit. They drive and loop the whole country and do all these shows.”
The pinup contest starts at 3 p.m. and will draw women from across the area to compete. McGibany explained that the pinup contest is similar to a pageant, but with a 50s feel.
“It’s really to celebrate the sophistication and class and glamor of the 1950s,” she said. “They dress up in these awesome, wonderful dresses and the highest of high heels and their hair’s all done up huge. It’s wonderful. The extent to which these ladies go for the look is really incredible. They work the crowd, and they have questions, kind of like a pageant where they’re asking them about their community involvement and stuff. It’s just a really nice element to the car show to just kind of do the 50s thing right.”
While the car show runs from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m when judging begins, McGibany said the crowd usually picks up by 10 a.m. and stays consistent throughout the day. She commended the drivers who will participate in the car show, many of whom are members of car clubs that have collaborated with Alton Main Street throughout the years to support the event.
“We have some great car clubs that are involved in it and help us along the way,” she added. “It’s just really been amazing to see these guys’ commitment to it, and they show up in full force for sure.”
She looks forward to welcoming people from across the Midwest to downtown Alton for the day. For more information about the All-Wheels Drive-In Car Show, check out the official Facebook event page. Visit the official Alton Main Street website at DowntownAlton.com to learn more about their work and upcoming events.
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