By Anastasia Brunson

I’ve been to a few car shows here and there, but cannot recall having attended an indoor one so this was a first for me. The actual car show was inside the convention center, but there was also an outdoor area with live music, multiple sections for RC cars complete with ramps and obstacles, and food trucks along with a bar. I wandered around for a bit, enjoying the music and watching the RC cars controlled by patrons speed up the pavement and onto the ramp attempting to remain upright on the landing.

Walking inside, a bright green car with a sound system in the open trunk was the first taste of what was found here. In a side room was an array of vendors with a Lego derby car racetrack set up in the middle. Another side room had even more vendors and a small arcade setup of racing games. Going further brought you to a gallery of vehicle artwork drawn by artists from local high schools.

Then is the main room, with rows on rows of cars ranging from classic to modern, restored to modified. There was a whole section dedicated just to Mustangs and another for Corvettes. Imports, low riders, hot rods, muscle cars, and more shined under the florescent lights. There were also a few motorcycles and a pedal car from the 50’s that had a custom paint job. I walked around for a few hours and still felt like I didn’t get to see everything, there was just so much to see and take in.

Once the awards presentation started, a crowd quickly formed as the announcer began to work through the stack of plaques he had by his side, everyone curious to see whose efforts would be recognized. I used this time to get better pictures since the aisles were now mostly clear of other car enthusiasts, also getting closer looks at those that had interesting custom work or modifications.

The vastness of the McAllen CarFest left me wondering what next years will bring, feeling sure that bigger and better things will come given the large showing of cars and their owners that I encountered.