2026 OBX Truck Fest

• Custom classic and mini trucks fill the show field, with up to 30 vendors along the edge (vendor spots for 2026 have sold out).
• The show field is open to spectators 10am to 4:30pm on Friday and Saturday, with DJ Maze, food trucks, club games and a charity raffle.
• Residents line the highway to watch the evening cruising, and clubs run their own sponsored cruises during the weekend.
• Award classes run from Best Squarebody, Best C10 and Best OBS to Best Mini Truck, Top 25 of Show, Truck Limbo Champion and Club Games Champion.
• The Soundside Event Site is about 10 acres of grass on the Roanoke Sound, one of the largest event sites on the Outer Banks (Outer Banks Visitors Bureau).
• Early November in Nags Head runs to highs around 67F (19C) and lows around 55F (13C), about one day in four is wet, and the wind averages 13.5 mph, mostly from the north (WeatherSpark averages).

Best Way to Experience It

• Friday is the lighter day on the schedule: show vehicle registration runs until 3pm, so trucks keep arriving on the field through the afternoon.
• Saturday is the day the show builds to: registration closes at 12pm, the national anthem is at 12pm, and the charity raffle, awards and closing remarks run 3:30pm to 4:30pm, straight into the 4:30pm open cruise to Bodie Island Lighthouse.
• Both nights carry on after the field closes: a pre party on Friday and an after party on Saturday at Shipwrecks Tap and Grill in Kitty Hawk from 6pm, and cruising on S Croatan Hwy from 6pm onward.

Good to Know

• Driving: The site is at 6800 S Croatan Hwy, Nags Head, on the sound side of the highway; traffic is right turns only into and out of the site, and spectator parking is not on the site, the organiser sets designated parking outside the venue.
• Public transport: The organiser publishes no public transport guidance for the event; the closest international airport is Norfolk International, 82 miles north of the Outer Banks (Outer Banks Visitors Bureau figure).
• Rideshare and taxis: Uber operates in Nags Head and Lyft lists the Outer Banks as a service area; the organiser publishes no drop off point for either.
• Best value route: Own car to the designated off site parking and a walk in, since the show has no ticket to pay for and no shuttle or transit option is published.
• Tickets: Spectator entry is free with no ticket to buy; show vehicle registration is US$40 (2026), bought online at obx-truck-fest.com or in person at the event, and it closes on the day or once the field is full.
• Bringing things in: Coolers with outside food and non alcoholic drinks are allowed; alcohol, BBQ pits and pop up tents are not; golf carts only as a registered show vehicle; motorised scooters only for disability access, cleared with staff.
• Trailers: Trailers do not go inside the show grounds without pre approval; the organiser has about 30 free trailer spots first come first served, and Blue Heron Motel, Elizabethan Inn and Shutters on the Banks have trailer parking for guests.
• Where to stay: The organiser lists nine hotels from Kitty Hawk to Nags Head; code OBX10 takes 10 percent off at Heart of Manteo Motor Lodge, Mariner Inn and Suites and Blue Heron Motel, and Outer Banks Motor Lodge gives two free nights on a two night stay with code THANKS.
• Last verified: 18 October 2026
• Official link: https://www.obx-truck-fest.com/

• Wanted to enter your truck? Registration is open to all trucks: classics, minis, bagged trucks, 4x4s, diesels, side by sides, SUVs and Jeeps. Permanently squatted trucks are turned away at the gate (anything more than a 4 inch front to rear difference counts as squatted), and bagged trucks enter and leave level, then air out the rear once on the field. Check in needs a driver's licence and the emailed ticket to collect the window decal, and after paying you email a side profile photo of the truck with your name to obxtruckfest@gmail.com. Registrations cannot be transferred.
• Suitable for kids? The organiser bills it as family friendly, and there is a truck limbo contest on the field.
• Worried about rain? The show runs rain or shine and registration money is not refunded; if the organiser reschedules, registrations carry over to the new date.
• Coming for the cruising? The organiser's cruising rules apply to everyone on S Croatan Hwy: LED lighting is fine but no red or blue lights and no rear facing white lights, air suspension can be worked while cruising, tilt beds stay within the lane, all wheels stay on the pavement, music at a reasonable volume, and no burnouts or reckless driving. The organiser does not condone street takeovers or parking lot meets anywhere.