Classic cars and motorcycles will line up along 708 West 2nd Street in historic downtown Antioch this Saturday as the Hot Rods 4 Paws benefit car and bike show rolls into its 12th year. The free, family-friendly event runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and folds in a trunk-or-treat, a kids zone, live music and vendor booths for a Halloween-season gathering in the Rivertown district.
The milestone anniversary comes courtesy of the Antioch Herald, which describes this weekend's gathering as the 12th annual Hot Rods 4 Paws Benefit Car & Bike Show in Antioch's Rivertown. According to Antioch Animal Services, the event's Saturday hours and location were confirmed on the agency's Facebook page, which also laid out the day's lineup: trunk-or-treat stations, a kids zone, music, vendors and a pet and kids costume contest set for noon.
A Fundraiser Built Around Pets in Need
Beyond the chrome and candy, the show exists to raise money for a cause. The event's organizers describe it as a fun, family-friendly car show meant to help Furry Friends Pet Relief continue its work in the community, per the organization's official website. That website also details what Furry Friends Pet Relief actually provides to families: free-to-low-cost spay and neuter services, vaccines, preventative medical care and free pet food for households in need.
Antioch Animal Services said it plans to send volunteers to the event alongside adoptable pets, inviting the public to stop by and meet them. The agency's post described the animals as waiting to welcome visitors, framing the show as a chance for Rivertown visitors to combine a day of car-watching with the possibility of finding a new pet.
Free Admission, Noon Costume Contest
Organizers have kept the event free to the public, with the full slate of activities packed into the four-hour window. The noon costume contest for pets and kids is positioned as the midday centerpiece, breaking up a morning and early afternoon of car browsing, vendor shopping and music in the historic downtown core.
It's worth noting a small discrepancy in the event's history: while this year's show is billed as the 12th annual edition, a 2025 listing from the Antioch Herald referred to that year's show as the 11th annual Hot Rods 4 Paws Benefit Car & Bike Show and Trunk or Treat. The dossier does not resolve the gap between the two counts, but either way, the Rivertown fixture has clearly built a multi-year run heading into this weekend's gathering at 708 West 2nd Street.
