ST. LOUIS — The St. Louis Auto Show taking place downtown at America’s Center and the St. Charles Home Show at the St. Charles Convention Center represent two of the earliest large-scale events to return in the area during the COVID-19 era.
About 27 different manufacturers are showcasing new vehicles at the auto show. For some people, the event represents an opportunity to see the newest makes and models. For others, it’s just a chance to get out of the house.
Doug Smith, the executive vice president of the St. Louis Auto Dealers Association, said the show marks a return to "normal."
"It's been going on for 70 years, and St. Louis is a car crazy metro area. We have sanitation stations all over the building and handwashing stations all over the building. We're requiring masks to come in. We're limiting the number of people who can come to the show on an hourly basis," Smith said.
James Bradley said he and his wife, Ardra, were attending "just to get out of the house."
"It's been a year since we've seen the auto show. So we're excited to see what it's like this year," Ardra said.
Smith said the St. Louis Auto Show generally attracts about 90,000 people, but this year, capacity was limited to about half that number.
"That was the number determined by City of St. Louis Health Department in coordination with the America's Center and our show staff based on our numbers, the layout, the configuration and the square footage of the building," he said.
Jaber Qasem, who attended the show on Saturday, said he's a fan of the Jeep Grand Wagoneer.
"I think Jeep knocked it out of the park. They are the star of the show," he said before taking a selfie with his family in front of America's Center.
He said he's not concerned about COVID-19.
"We wear the masks. We stock to the precautions. And we got to go on with our lives," Qasem said.
Both the auto show and the home show continue through Sunday.
