RAPID CITY, SD — The season of winter events at The Monument continues this week, as Sports and Stock are out in exchange for Harleys and Hot Rods. 

The 26th annual Counts Car Show is coming again to Rapid City with over 300 classic cars and motorcycles to see, and vehicular vendors to support the aspiring or veteran mechanics and motorists.The show is described as the Blackhawk-based Counts Car Clubs’ “big winter social event for car people,” by show treasurer Gary Kreun, where enthusiasts can congregate, spend time around like-minded folks and ask questions.

However, the spotlight this year goes to new activities coming to the show, advertising a mullet contest, custom wagon build off, custom valve cover build off, hot rod bar, and Hot Rod corn hole tournament, as well as a Saturday Sock Hop, and with The Cub Scouts planning to hold their regional pinewood derby event at the gathering. For kids and families, special vendors will be available for their interests as well, and a track will be set up for racing die-cast cars, coinciding with a Saturday Special where the first 500 kids into the show will receive a free *Hot Wheels* car.

Entry to the event is free for kids six and under, with tickets for kids up to 12 going for $8, and adults costing $15. All tickets act as weekend passes to the event, allowing “a lot of families to come into Friday night, and then dad can come back on Saturday or Sunday just by himself,” according to Kreun. A significant portion of proceeds from the event will be going to local charities such as the Club For Boys, Girls Inc, South Dakota Service Dogs, Midwest Honor Flight, and Sleep In Heavenly Peace SHP. “There’s a lot of charities little charities that need help, they don’t get big corporate help anywhere, and we try and really hard to partner with them on things,” said Kreun. 

Special for this year, the show will be putting on a canned food drive for Church Response, a local Christian Outreach Organization formed in the wake of the 1972 Black Hills Flood, who seeks to facilitate organization between churches and provide material aid to people throughout Rapid City. 

As far as putting everything together? Moving in to take over the Monument while organizing individuals and groups for this weekend is a bit of a hectic affair, according to Kreun. “All four rooms of the civic center will have moving days starting tomorrow, and that starts at 8 am. It’ll be just kind of mass chaos for most of the day, as people come in and it’s going to be snowy, so that just makes it a little tough.” said Kreun “But you know, we’ve had very few big incidents where people get upset and you know, everybody’s pretty calm, they just take your time. We’ll all get in here”.

“Every year it just gets a little bigger and bigger and better and better, which we’re kind of proud of,” said Kreun.