Billetproof Hot Rod and Custom Car Show to Come to Fairgrounds

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Hundreds of hot rods and custom cars will fill the Southwest Washington Fairgrounds as the Billetproof car show brings its eighth annual event to the area. 

Alan Galbraith, with Billetproof, said he expects approximately 600 cars to be on display. Typically the event draws in between 2,000 and 3,000 people.

The car show is unique because it features traditionally styled hot rods and customs. The show is only open to cars from 1964 and before. 

No high tech, billet wheel, digital dash techno rods or street rods are allowed at the event. 

“It’s a look back at the way hot rods and customs used to be made,” Galbraith said. “It’s more about what people could do in their garage with their own hands and tools, and not so much on how much money they could spend on their car.”

Participants travel from all over Washington, and from surrounding states and Canada to be featured in the family-friendly event.

Galbraith said his favorite part is seeing the yearly progress some make on their cars throughout the event’s history.

“Sometimes you’ll see cars that people have been working on for years. They start with something rough and bring it every year,” he said. “Seeing that progress and seeing the creativity is great.” 

This year renowned blues bass player and singer Lisa Mann will headline the show. Mann is an award-winning musician from Portland who plays traditional blues on her six-string bass and is accompanied by a quartet of blues musicians. 



She will be playing on the main stage at the fairgrounds throughout the days. 

Along with the live entertainment, vendors and a pinstripes panel jam will be present. The panel is where pinstripe artists are able to show off their painting skills and offer custom artwork for sale.

To cater to the younger attendees, the event will feature a free model car “make and take” for children 12 and under. 

A used car parts swap meet will provide an opportunity for those who need to pick up an extra part for their car. 

On Saturday night the participating car owners will go on a street cruise through downtown Centralia, showing off their pre-1964 vehicles. 

“It’s a little bit of a time warp,” Galbraith said of the event. “You can take the cars and put them in a high school parking lot in 1956 or 1963 and they fit in. That’s the effect we are going for.” 

Online registration for the event has closed, but anyone interested in participating can register at the fairgrounds the morning of the show. 

Billetproof was founded in 1997 in California and has spread across the nation with shows that draw thousands of hot rods and even more spectators.