Knights Ferry car show, april 4, 2026
In 1849, at the height of the California Gold Rush, physician and fur trader Dr. William Knight established a ferry crossing the mighty Stanislaus River, using an old whaling boat. It became the main route from Stockton to the gold mines of the Mother Lode. Today Knights Ferry is a sleepy little town on Highway 108 about halfway between Oakdale and Sonora. Every March they host a one of the Central Valley’s largest Civil War reenactments at their Civil War Days.
And every April, the Knights Ferry Community Association hosts one heckuva car show. The Knights Ferry Classic Car Show took place this year on Saturday, April 4, 2026. The entire town, which is about two blocks long, was shut down and classic cars were everywhere. I counted around 150 cars and trucks.
I showed up in my 2005 Mustang GT but parked outside and walked in. Looking at the cars I didn’t see anything modern. Lots of shows put limits on the car’s age. 1972-or-older, 1980-or-earlier, but no such limit here. It’s just how it played out. Then I saw this gorgeous new Ferrari and felt vindicated.
This was a nice show in a lovely setting with around 150 cars, mostly older classics. Very little modern muscle. But what a nice selection of cars!
