Carmel-by-the-Sea Concours for a Cause
Monterey Car Week

Concours for a Cause returned to downtown Carmel-by-the-Sea on Tuesday, August 12, 2025, closing Ocean Avenue for a free, public showcase from 10 a.m.–4 p.m. The format blends classic-car displays with local food, art, and community programming. This year, organizers expanded the field to around 250 cars, filling multiple blocks. The event benefits a slate of local nonprofits and added new features for 2025, including a race-car showcase and a Japan-themed section—part street festival, part rolling history lesson. Crowds flowed between displays all afternoon, with Ocean Avenue reading more like a curated promenade than a traffic corridor.

This was my first time at Concours for a Cause, and I only had a short window—but I’m glad I made it. I started with early-era machinery: a 1912 REO the Fifth set the tone, followed by a Model T, a 1914 Cadillac Model 30, a Model A, and a 1903 Clément—brass, wood, and coachwork that read like a time capsule along Ocean Avenue. The next block, the pace changed: a Shelby Cobra Jet with a 427, then a run of five Mustang GT350s in one sweep—more than I’ve ever seen together. (I’ve got a soft spot for that era; my first car was a ’67 Mustang I bought from my dad.) I finished with a tidy Corvette C1; never been a Chevy guy, but if I owned one, it would be this. Short visit, long list—next year I’ll block more time.

Concours for a Cause effectively revives Carmel’s Tuesday street concours tradition downtown, channeling it toward local philanthropy. The city once hosted Concours on the Avenue each Car Week; after founder Doug Freedman passed away, that event went quiet, leaving a gap on the Tuesday calendar. Concours for a Cause steps into that space with a philanthropic brief—raising funds for local organizations such as the Carmel Foundation, Rancho Cielo, Salinas Surf Club, and the Sunset Center—while keeping the free, walkable, Ocean Avenue format. It’s a civic-minded reboot: same streets, renewed mission, and a showcase that puts community and cars in the same frame.