Hot Rods for Hunger returns to Albuquerque, aids Storehouse New Mexico

Hot rods, raffle tickets and food trucks drew the crowd to northeast Albuquerque, but the point of the gathering was hunger relief. The annual Hot Rods for Hunger Car Show took place Saturday, June 6, 2026, at Albertsons Market at Eubank and Candelaria from 9 a.m. to noon, with more than 100 classic cars, hot rods, trucks and custom vehicles on display.

The turnout mattered because Storehouse New Mexico says each dollar donated can be turned into five meals for local people in need. By that measure, even a modest gift at the show could stretch quickly into pantry support. Storehouse says it fed more than 79,000 people in 2024 and traces its nonprofit roots to 1976, a reminder that the need has grown even as the organization’s reach has expanded. The broader hunger picture is stark: Feeding America estimates New Mexico’s food insecurity rate at 16.6% in 2023, or about 350,010 people, while the New Mexico Department of Health says more than 100,000 children in the state were food insecure that year. In Bernalillo County, Federal Reserve data show 128,358 SNAP recipients in 2023.

Hot Rods for Hunger has become more than a show-and-shine. Storehouse said the 2026 event was presented by BMO and coordinated with help from the Subaru NM car club, with all makes and models welcome. Earlier Storehouse event pages show the fundraiser has been running for years, including editions in 2021 and 2022. In 2021, Nathan Sanchez, Storehouse’s board chair and an engineer manager at Intel Corporation, was identified as a member of Mopar Most Wanted, one of the local car clubs that helped anchor the effort. That year’s show included categories such as Favorite Vintage, Favorite Classic, Best in Show and Most Supportive Club. A 2022 version was expected to include a Poker Run, cash prizes, entertainment, an after party and as many as 250 cars.

For Albuquerque, the event worked as a case study in how hobby communities become part of the anti-hunger network. A morning spent browsing chrome and custom paint at Eubank and Candelaria translated into direct support for a pantry that says it helps New Mexicans of every race, faith, age, gender and disability status.