1984  The iconic Fruitmobile is created by artist Jackie Harris as an auction item for the Orange Show Foundation's gala.

1984 Ann Harithas curates "Collision" at Lawndale Art Center, an exhibition featuring two Art Cars

1986  New America Music Festival features the New Music Parade organized

1986 Orange Show organizes a "Road Show" featuring Art Cars and lowriders

1988 Houston International Festival commissions the Orange Show to organize a celebration of Art Cars resulting in "Roadside Attractions: The Art Car Parade," which is considered the very first Art Car Parade ever, drawing 2,000 spectators and featuring 40 Art Cars.

1989 The Art Car Parade doubles in size, and over 10,000 spectators flock to see it

1990 Artist and Educator Rebecca Bass and her students at Edison Middle School create the first Youth entry into the Art Car Parade

1997 The Art Car Parade is featured on the cover of The New York Times

2003 The Orange Show officially takes over production of the Art Car Parade and begins producing it independently

2007 The Art Car Parade features its first official Grand Marshal, performer George Clinton

2017 The Art Car Parade celebrates its 30th anniversary by significantly expanding its parade route to incorporate downtown Houston and Allen Parkway

Today, the Orange Show's Art Car Parade is the highlight of a multi-day celebration of "the drive to create," attracting 250+ vehicles and other entries from across the world and nearly 300,000 spectators.

Participants in the parade are not just limited to automobiles, but can include anything on wheels from bikes and unicycles to lawn mowers, go-carts, roller skates, and so much more. Community groups, schools, non-profits, corporations and professional organizations have all become regular participant. In addition, through a judging process the Orange Show Center for Visionary Art awards over $20k in prize money to artists, schools, and individuals in various categories.