There aren’t many car shows where a clean stock Beetle can park near a chopped-up custom, a VW bus set up for camping and a dune buggy that looks ready to get dirty. That mix is the point of Florida Bug Jam. The 38th annual gathering returns to Pasco County Fairgrounds in Dade City on November 6–8, 2026, with Sunday’s big Volkswagen show preceded by two days of driving, camping and other activities.
The organizers say more than 700 Volkswagens took part in 2025, spread across 61 classes for air-cooled and water-cooled models. That’s last year’s figure, not a promised count for 2026. It does explain why this is more than a parking-lot meetup: cars, parts and VW people are the whole weekend.
The cars are the main attraction
Sunday is the principal car-show day. There’s room in the lineup for familiar air-cooled Beetles and buses, restored cars, customs, Karmann Ghias and other Volkswagens. The show also includes water-cooled entries. You can spend plenty of time examining the differences between an original-looking car and one that’s been rebuilt around its owner’s imagination.
That contrast has long been part of the show. The photographs here come from the 2019 Florida Bug Jam, not from the upcoming 2026 edition. They show some of the variety that has appeared on the field, including a double-cab VW pickup with surfboards and several heavily personalized Beetles.
Saturday takes the VWs out for a drive
Saturday, November 7, is more than setup day. A five-stop poker run is scheduled to start between 10 and 11 a.m. The organizers also have Bugs on the Track, an off-road driving event using the Dade City motocross course; the published track schedule lists Saturday hours from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., with registration starting at 10:30 a.m.
At 2 p.m., a police-escorted Volkswagen parade is scheduled to leave the fairgrounds for downtown Dade City. The downtown cruise-in is advertised for 2:30–6 p.m. That gives people an opportunity to see some of the cars on the road as well as sitting on the grass.
Parts hunting and campsite culture
Bug Jam also has a swap meet and vendor area open Saturday and Sunday. This is the place to look for VW parts and collectibles, talk with sellers and see what’s available for a project. The organizer advertises more than 150 vendors for the weekend, along with live music, food and other contests. Friday evening is when camping and vendor setup begin.
For 2026, the event theme is Florida tourism, so Hawaiian shirts, beach hats and other tourist gear are part of the planned fun. There’s also a campsite contest. Those details fit the relaxed side of the VW scene, especially for owners who drive and camp in their buses and vans.
What visitors need to know
Florida Bug Jam runs November 6–8 at Pasco County Fairgrounds, 36722 State Road 52, Dade City, FL 33525. Camping opens Friday at 5 p.m. Spectator gates open at 9 a.m. both Saturday and Sunday, and the official schedule lists Sunday spectator hours through 5 p.m.
General admission is $10 per day, admission for children age 10 and under is $5, and spectator parking is $5. Advance show-car registration is listed at $50, with a show shirt, dash plaque and one adult weekend admission included. The organizer’s pages give conflicting amounts for day-of-show registration, so check with the organizer before relying on a walk-up registration price.
For current registration instructions and any schedule changes, check the official Florida Bug Jam website. The weekend program is worth checking before you travel, particularly if you want to see the Saturday drive events as well as Sunday’s show field.
