Rahway’s Hot Rods and Harleys canceled for 2026 due to rain forecast
The all-volunteer organizers behind the annual downtown Rahway festival cited dire weather predictions and mass withdrawals from preregistered participants, calling a rain date logistically impossible.
An undated photograph of Hot Rods and Harleys festival. The festival attracts tens of thousands of people to Rahway’s downtown every year. (credit: Michelle McTamney)
Chris Howell | May 8, 2026
The 23rd annual Hot Rods and Harleys festival, originally scheduled for Saturday in downtown Rahway, has been called off due to an unfavorable weather forecast.
The organizers behind U4GUYS, the all-volunteer nonprofit that runs the event, announced the cancellation Friday morning, citing forecasts from multiple sources predicting a strong likelihood of steady rain for most of Saturday afternoon.
“We’ve unfortunately made the very difficult decision to cancel the event for 2026 due to the current weather reports,” the group posted on Facebook. “We’re so sorry to have to do this, and we’re terribly disappointed, but the likelihood of heavy rain makes moving forward impossible.”
In a lengthier follow-up statement, organizers explained that more than half of the event’s preregistered participants had already dropped out. The group noted that classic car and custom bike owners typically won’t bring their vehicles out even under the threat of rain.
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Organizers also said the massive logistics required to put together the event are the same reason why the event cannot simply be rescheduled. The festival typically draws over 40 vendors, 15 bands, 30 car clubs, and more than 700 preregistered vehicles.
It also requires direct coordination with the Rahway Fire Department, Police Department, Department of Health, Department of Public Works, the Rahway SID, and the city administration. Renting tents, port-o-johns, golf carts, stages, and sound equipment — all typically arranged months in advance — makes finding an alternate date with all parties available essentially impossible, they said.
“No one is more disappointed about canceling the event than we are,” the group wrote.
Not all of Saturday’s planned festivities are lost, however. The Rahway Elks Lodge #1075 is still hosting its Community Day event in conjunction with Hot Rods and Harleys at 122 W. Milton Ave. from 11 a.m. to 6 PM. The event will feature live bands, a DJ, and food and beverages for purchase.
The Hot Rods and Harleys organizers gave the Elks a shoutout on Facebook, writing that they were grateful to them “for keeping a part of the day alive — and apparently indoors, where it’s dry.”
Hot Rods and Harleys has been held in downtown Rahway each spring since 2003. The group said it plans to begin planning next year’s show within weeks and is hoping to see everyone back in 2027.
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