RV SHOW
CRAFT SHOW
CAR SHOW
QUARTZSITE
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MEDIA
WATER SALES
Platinum Level Sponsor
Win a FREE EU200 Honda Generator and other prizes at the 2009 shows!
2009 Show Dates & Hours
26th Annual Quartzsite Sports, Vacation & RV Show - January 17th - 25th - 9AM - 5PM
12th Annual Quartzsite Hobby, Craft & Gem Show - January 28th - February 1st - 9AM - 5PM
11th Annual Quartzsite Rock & Roll Classic Car Show - January 31st - February 1st - 9AM - 5PM
Exclusive RV Dealer at the RV Show - Paul Evert's RV Country
RV & Car Shows - Before and after photos
Aerial View of the Quartzsite Shows Show Grounds
Kenny King & Mal Mallory - Show Promoters
Gold Level Sponsors
Silver Level Sponsors
Carpet Protector Carpet Protection
A Little History and Current
Information on The Quartzsite Shows
The Quartzsite RV Show opened the gates on January 28th, 1984 at the corner of Hwy 95 (now Central) and Business 10 (now Main Street) in Quartzsite, Arizona. With just 60 exhibitors and a small tent, the "new show in town" was still very popular since the majority of the people in Quartzsite we're RVers. In 1987 the show, now re-named The Quartzsite Sports, Vacation & RV Show, moved down the street to the Quartzsite Trailer Park which was situated directly across from the major attraction in town at that time, the Quartzsite Pow Wow. For the next several years The Quartzsite Sports, Vacation & RV Show enjoyed a tremendous run and huge crowds, with the largest crowds of all showing up during the Quartzsite Pow Wow. This new home for The Quartsite Sports, Vacation & RV Show lasted 10 years and the RV Show grew to a point where the current 3.5 acre show site could barely hold the number of exhibitors that were now vying for exhibit space at this popular annual event. In 1997 the "BIG TENT", as the show had become known, moved across the freeway to it's present home, just 1/2 mile South of I-10 on Hwy 95. ( now 700 S. Central) The new 20 acre facility, a former dry campground, was just what the doctor ordered for the expanding show. At that time in Quartzite, parking was almost impossible to find, legally. With the new Quartzsite Sports, Vacation & RV Show Show Grounds, the show was able to offer over 15 acres of public parking and the promoters, Kenny King and Mal Mallory, made the decision to offer their parking FREE to the public, while many other of the shows in town were already starting to charge to park. It was obviously a wise decision as in 1997, their first year at the new site, a major change in traffic patterns occurred. During the major show days at Quartzsite that year, the infamous Quartzsite traffic jam that once clogged Main Street from the freeway offramp on the East end of town, all the way to Four Corners, immediately shifted to the "South Side" of town. Luckily, the new Quartzite Shows Show Grounds had front and rear access and while the traffic was still terrible, the ability to flow the traffic through the Quartzsite Shows Show Grounds made it somewhat manageable. The new and permanent home of the Quartzsite Sports, Vacation & RV Show was a HUGE success!
In 1998 the promoters decided to add a second show to their calendar and the First Annual Quartzsite Hobby, Craft & Gem Show was born. While the new Craft Show shared the same, beautiful show facility, it did not attain the instant success that the RV Show had enjoyed back in 1984. In addition, the new show barely used 50% of the, then, 30,000 sq. ft., fully carpeted structure. During the inaugural Quartzsite Hobby, Craft & Gem Show someone made the comment that maybe the promoters should consider bringing in a few hot rods and classic cars to fill up the unused portion of the huge structure and to attract more people to the Craft Show. The promoters took the suggestion into consideration, however they did not make a decision to go forward with the car show until the latter part of October, 1998. Hoping to attract 50 cars in their first year and with less than 90 days to get the job done, the promoters and a few volunteers descended on any and every car show in the Southwest, passing out literature and talking to car owners. They had also recently uploaded their new web site on the Internet and spent numerous hours e-mailing car clubs, car magazines and anyone else that was even remotely connected to hot rods, classic cars or car shows. By opening day they had received over 150 registrations and more that 120 cars actually attended the inaugural show. Not only did the new Quartzsite Rock & Roll Classic Car Show exceed all expectations, the crowd that showed up each day that weekend exceeded the entire attendance for the Quartzsite Hobby, Craft & Gem Show held the year prior, and that was a 9 day event! These beautiful and unique custom cars, hot rods, street rods, muscle cars and classic cars, combined with the Arts & Crafts, Hobby items, jewelry and gem displays, makes for a spectacular event and the future looks very bright for both shows. The promoters are shooting for 250+ cars for their 2008 show and with the huge crowd that was attracted, due to the popularity of the combined Hobby, Craft & Gem Show and Classic Car Show, the promoters expect the exhibitor list for the Craft Show to grow considerably as well. The Craft Show is now being referred to as "RV SHOW II" as the attendees are primarily RVers. If you cannot make the huge RV Show you can see an awful lots of RV and travel related exhibits plus 100's of hot rods and classics during the Craft/Car show.
During the summer of 1998 the promoters finally settled a long and contentious litigation surrounding their purchase of the land. Once they were able to get free and clear title to their new Show Grounds, they immediately began upgrading the facility for the 1999 shows. In return for supplying the major portion of the water necessary to complete the re-paving project of Interstate 10 from the California border to Quartzsite, almost 18 acres of asphalt millings were laid down on the Quartsite Shows Show Grounds. This was a major improvement and nearly eliminated the number one exhibitor and customer complaint of the past; "It's too dusty!" Little did the promoters know at the time, but without the addition of this asphalt, there was no way that they would have been able to attract so many of the finest and most valuable hot rods, custom and classic cars in the Southwest to their new Classic Car Show in Quartzsite. Once the car owners heard that their cars would go inside the "BIG TENT" and that the Show Grounds and parking lot were under asphalt, the "too dusty" reputation of Quartzsite was a moot subject. The promoters also added a sewage treatment area to facilitate better service for the 200+ exhibitor RVs camping on the Quartzsite Shows Show Grounds during the three shows. New and upgraded electrical service was added to the Northern and Southern borders of the Quartzsite Shows Show Grounds as well. We're talking about a major electrical upgrade here or as the head electrician from Trade Show Electric of Los Angeles, CA, who wires the show stated; "They're probably capable of powering up most of Quartzsite in a pinch!" Permanent water service was also installed throughout the Quartzsite Shows Show Grounds for the numerous food concessions and "live-aboard" exhibitors at the three shows. What was, only six months earlier, a barren piece of desert, is now a facility that is comparable to many fairgrounds across the country.
Just prior to the 1999 shows, a foot-traffic gate was opened between the Quartzsite Shows Show Grounds and the 23 acre facility of The Tyson Wells Sell-A-Rama, the premier Rock, Gem and flea market in Quartzsite. Just like back in the old days when the RV Show was situated across from the Pow Wow, the Quartzsite Shows and Tyson Wells now share in the huge amount of traffic that each show attracts by allowing a safer and shorter route for the public to navigate between these two major venues.
With Tyson's new Craft Show, Prospector's Panorama and the Car/Craft Show open all at the same time along with the expansion of the Rice Ranch selling area across Hwy 95, it gives the RVers a reason to extend their stay in the area. Many of the RV Show exhibitors have realized that the people that attend the Craft/Car show are also RVers and many have elected to stay on for the 5 day Hobby, Craft & Gem Show in 2009.
The 2008 shows were definitely the biggest yet. Don't miss the Quartzsite Shows in 2009.
It's ALL Happening Under the BIG TOP!"
Casa de Quartzsite Canada05 Canada 06 Magnum Cruise for the Cure Loreto 06 Loreto 07 Costa Rica 07 Casa Blanca 07
