Y’all, there is something really cool going on down in the Gulf of Mexico — specifically Mobile, Alabama. In just seven short years, one show is staking a claim as the premier show on the Gulf Coast, and it’s backing it up. Taking place in May each year, the Battle In Bama Hot Rod, Truck, and Bike Show presented by Ultimate Audio Fabrication has quickly grown to the level of bursting at the seams. The show is an amalgamation of just about every genre within the automotive hobby. If you haven’t been, this is one you should mark on your calendar for next year.

Where else can you get a picture of your car in front of a battleship?

Mobile, situated on the bay, is Alabama’s first city, founded in 1702 — 117 years before it became a state. Known as the “Gateway to the Gulf,” it is the 9th largest port in the United States and boasts one of the largest ecosystems in the world, the Mobile-Tensaw River Delta. Mobile Bay is where you can find the USS ALABAMA Memorial Park, home to the famed “Mighty A” battleship and the site of Battle in Bama.

Unfortunately, Mobile is also the rainiest city in America (even more than Seattle), averaging over 5-feet annually. Yes, that is something you might have to contend with, especially in May, but it hasn’t deterred thousands of people from attending the three-day Battle in Bama event. In fact, the show has become so popular that participant registration is capped at 1300 vehicles. It quickly sells out as soon as pre-registration opens on January 1. Vendor spots also sold out in record time. This year, demand was so high that it took down the show’s webserver.

The USS Alabama Memorial Park is dedicated to the men who fought for our freedom. The battleship and various military crafts creates an outstanding backdrop.

There are several reasons this show is becoming a juggernaut. Number one is the variety of vehicles. Though Battle in Bama tends to lean heavier toward the truck side (a product of promoter Craig Rowley’s history in the hobby), the event is open to all vehicles. You can (and often do) see anything on the park lawn. Bagged trucks, lowered trucks, minitrucks, high-horsepower Pro Street cars, restored classic cars, restomods, patina’d rat rods, lowriders, and even imports were all seen somewhere on the grounds this year.

Variety is the spice of life. Battle in Bama prides itself on having something for everyone, and they succeed year after year.

Second are the promoters, Craig and Rosalyn Rowley, and their super-supportive staff. They communicate with participants, especially leading up to the show, and are always looking for ways to improve it. Craig hosts a few Facebook Live sessions where he answers frequently asked questions for new attendees and conveys anything that may have changed since last year. For 2022, Battle in Bama mailed everyone’s registration packet, which made the ingress into the show much easier on participants if they followed the instructions.

Craig and Rosalyn Rowley (seen here holding the massive Best of Show trophy) and their crew work hard to ensure everyone has a good time.

Third on the list is the setting. The park features fresh green grass and a grove of trees with military planes, tanks, and artifacts scattered around. Where else in the world can you get pictures of your vehicle parked in front of a Battleship on the water. Being located right on the bay, a nice breeze usually blows, keeping the May temperatures tolerable. There is just one caveat: there is minimal asphalt parking, and most vehicles are parked on the grass, so keep that in mind...especially for when it rains.

Most of the show is on grass, but it affords a lot of space to put up tents or show off your hydraulic beds!

Fourth is the Friday night welcome party after the show closes, otherwise known as “Tacos on a Battleship.” The first 300 lucky registrants receive a colored armband to enter the Battleship, which is open to tour. They have a taco dinner on the deck provided by LaCajita Mexican restaurant and tons of giveaways, including some incredible custom-made donated works of art. Everyone with an armband gets a ticket for the giveaways. For additional chances to win, Battle in Bama partnered with Campfire Shenanigans to receive items for the needy (this year, it was blankets); there were thousands donated!

Fifth is the specialty parking areas. The Rowleys work hard to bring unique vehicles to “Millionaires Row.” These vehicles might have historical significance, movie prominence, or are finished to a high level. This year, they had one of the first Minitruckin’ magazine cover trucks, an astounding pickup with a mural dedicated to the U.S. Navy, and the 18-wheeler from “Maximum Overdrive.” Other specialty parking areas included C10 Row, OBS Takeover, and Big Tire Alley.

Designated parking areas highlight certain types of vehicles. Here is the start of “Big Tire Alley,” where the Pro Street guys show their over-the-top creations.

In “Millionaires Row,” you could see Goblin from the movie Maximum Overdrive!

Sixth is the vibe or camaraderie of the event. Rowley grew up in the mini-trucking lifestyle, so he knows it’s wise to cater to clubs. Clubs are encouraged to park together and allowed to put up tents, making it a reunion for some of the bigger national clubs. Acrophobia, Negative Camber, C10’s of the South, C10 Nation, and Relaxed Atmosphere were just some of the clubs we spotted. Relaxed Atmosphere took home the Club Participation trophy with 109 entries — most coming from Florida, Texas, Mississippi, and Tennessee. People come from far and wide for Battle in Bama. Even if you aren’t in a club, you will make friends with someone; the atmosphere is so open and inviting.

Battle in Bama is all about camaraderie and helping others. These guys changed an engine overnight in one of the Pro Street cars after spinning a rod bearing.

Seventh is the awards. Ok, most people don’t attend specifically to get an award, but it is nice to be recognized, and the awards at Battle in Bama are a spare-no-expense, top-notch operation. These aren’t some cheap plastic trophies or boring plaques made in China. No, Battle in Bama does it right with a plethora of custom awards made out of acrylic, CNC’d metal, and hand-pinstriped metal signs in the shape of a bomb. Lastly, the three “Best-Of” awards are 3-dimensional bombs made from a solid chunk of billet aluminum. If you win one, you better have a solid mantel to put it on.

The awards for Battle in Bama are second to none. It must cost a fortune to give out so many custom-made pieces of hardware.

This year’s event seemed to run as smooth as butter. The Battle in Bama team’s significant changes to get people into the grounds quicker paid off in spades. They even added a Saturday night drive-in movie at a local container park in conjunction with Cars & Coffee Mobile. Despite a few threatening storms in the area, the grounds only saw a few sprinkles throughout the weekend. Instead, there were plenty of sunburned show-goers. For only being seven years old, Battle in Bama is living up to the hype of a premier event. Check the website on January 1 for pre-registration opening — it will sell out fast. May 5-7, 2023, is the date for the eighth edition; it’s sure to get even better.