2026 Layin' at the Lake

• The field is a look but do not touch one: no donuts, burnouts or dragging anywhere in the park, and the organiser runs it as a family show with bikes welcome alongside the cars and trucks.
• Spectator hours are 8:00am to 6:00pm Friday and Saturday and 8:00am to 1:00pm Sunday.
• Judging is drive thru, with Top 75 awards, over 20 specialty awards and a Host Choice award handed out on Sunday.
• The park is 128 acres on Lake Tyler with a fishing pier and boardwalk that are open to the public, a bait shop and a refurbished fishing barge, so there is water to walk along between the rows.

Best Way to Experience It

• Show vehicles check in Friday or Saturday between 8:00am and 6:00pm, or Sunday between 8:00am and 10:00am; Sunday judging starts at 11:00am and the awards at 1:00pm.
• Staying in the park puts the cabins, glamping tents and RV sites in the same grounds as the show field, so the weekend runs without a daily drive in from Tyler; the organiser's hotel pick is the Holiday Inn at 5701 S Broadway Ave in Tyler.

Good to Know

• Driving: The park is at 16822 McElroy Rd, Whitehouse, Texas, south east of Tyler on Lake Tyler, and the speed limit through the whole park is 10 mph for the show weekend.
• Public transport: Neither the organiser nor the park publishes a public transport route to the show; Tyler is the nearest city.
• Rideshare and taxis: Uber and Lyft both list Tyler, Texas on their city pages; the organiser publishes no taxi or rideshare drop off point.
• Best value route: A car is the realistic way in, and staying in the park removes the daily run from Tyler.
• Tickets: Spectator entry is from US$10 (2026) for a day, with a weekend pass sold too; the organiser's site sells vehicle pre registration online and lists the spectator prices without an online sale.
• Bringing things in: Alcohol is allowed if used respectfully, with one warning and then a ban from the park for the rest of the show; no glass bottles; BBQ pits must have a fire extinguisher.
• Food and drink: The park's bait shop and convenience store sells cold drinks, ice cream, ice and toiletries, and The Boulders Ice Company truck does coffee, espresso, iced drinks and snow cones.
• Where to stay: RV sites for the show, waterfront or not, have no sewer hookups and a dump site on the grounds, and are booked by contacting the park on 903-268-5880; tent camping is free with a vehicle registration; cabins, glamping tents and RV rentals book through the park's own site, with a 72 hour cancellation notice on every reservation.
• Last verified: 18 October 2026
• Official link: https://www.layinatthelake.com/show-info

• Wanted to enter your car? Any car, truck or bike can register, online in advance or on the day, with two weekend wristbands included in each registration. Judging is drive thru, and a vehicle that cannot be driven needs its owner to go to the judging tent and bring a judge to it; the organiser puts that on the entrant.
• Worried about rain? The show is rain or shine and all sales are final, registration included.
• Suitable for kids? The organiser bills it as a family friendly show, and the park's fishing pier takes day use guests until 7pm, kids aged 5 to 12 years at a reduced rate and under 5 years of age free, with poles, bait and fishing licences sold at the bait shop.