An all-American celebration of Corvettes and Harley-Davidsons showcased hundreds of cars and motorcycles along downtown streets Wednesday night in Sioux Falls.
Corvette owners shined up their rides to a bright finish for spectators looking to take pictures and wanting to learn what makes their model different from all the others.
The 19th annual Hot Summer Nites brought Corvettes and Harley lovers of all ages from across the country together to enjoy a night of food, family fun and classic rock ’n’ roll music.
More photos from Hot Summer Nites
The event kicked off at 6 p.m. and featured live music, the Budweiser Clydesdale parade and a full-length parade of Harleys.
“We loved the Clydesdales, we love the Harleys and we loved all the Corvettes,” Corvette owner Gayle Hawkinson said.
She always has dreamed of attending the Sioux Falls event but never had the opportunity until this year, she said.
“I’ve owned my Corvette for seven years now, and I’ve always wanted to bring my car down here to Hot Summer Nites and continue on to Spearfish in the Black Hills,” Hawkinson said.
Riders heading to Spearfish are those participating in the annual Black Hills Corvette Classic.
The Black Hills Corvette Classic is an annual event put on by the Sioux Falls Corvette Club to celebrate the American sports car.
In its 41st year, the classic Corvette pilgrimage attracts the attention of sports car lovers from across the country for five days of fun.
For almost two decades, Hot Summer Nites has served as a popular destination for those en route to the Black Hills during the ’Vettes in the Falls portion of the trip.
“This is one of our huge annual events,” said Sioux Falls Corvette Club volunteer Barb Koopman. “We draw people from all over the country, and tomorrow they caravan out to Spearfish for festivities that continue until Saturday night, and everyone then heads their own way on Sunday.”
Riders will spend the night in Sioux Falls before heading out to continue their cross-state tour.