The 2020 Twin Cities Auto Show made some dubious history. It was one of the last public events in North America shut down by the pandemic.
And it happened right in the middle of its nine-day run at the Minneapolis Convention Center.
“It was very demoralizing,” said Scott Lambert, the president of the Greater Metro Auto Dealers Association. “We only got six days and the last three days were crumbling on us, so it was a hard, hard time.”
Because there were so many unknowns about the pandemic over the winter, the decision was made to move the show to the Minnesota State Fairgrounds.
As it turns out, the car show, which runs May 15-23, is one of the state's biggest events since restrictions were loosened.
“We’re like Minnesota’s coming out party,” Lambert said.
And it’s taking place on a bigger stage, five time size of the convention center showroom floor.
Which leads to the ultimate question.
Can the Twin Cities Auto Show become an annual kickoff to outdoor events?
“We’re going to see how it goes,” said Lambert. “I think the manufacturers displays would like to go back to the temperature-controlled, clean convention center.”
Early ticket sales were up 20% over last years, while the recent rollback of pandemic restrictions means they can let in as many people as they can instead of capping attendance at 10,000 per day.
Lambert said when some of the car builders were first notified about the switch they didn’t know what to think.
“They probably thought they were going to be in the middle of a cornfield,” he said.
Many of the new models are on display in the state fairgrounds Midway Area, with the classic cars taking up the ground floor of the Grandstand.
Then there’s the state fair food options, which for many is an attraction in itself but an additional perk for Lambert, the presenters, and the people coming to the show.
“We’ve got brand new cars to look at, fair food, and free parking. That seems like a pretty good trifecta.”