Every night, the Reno streets were lined with spectators enjoying the endless cruising und
When Truckin' staff members and custom truck enthusiasts think of summer, we think of triple-digit temperatures and shows. During the peak of the summer season, we experience a show that has been held in Reno, Nevada, for the past 18 years - Hot August Nights. The show began in 1986 with 200 vehicles and has grown to its present 5,000 rod and truck limitation, becoming Reno's premiere special event. This celebration of American car and truck muscle officially begins the first Monday in August and carries on until the following Sunday, making it a full week of custom rods and trucks, show-'n'-shines, cruisin' poker runs, swap meets, golf tournaments, receptions, parties, and live music. The show is so big that it is shared with many major casinos in Reno and Sparks.
The kick-off party and show 'n' shine was held at Harrah's in downtown Reno on the first day, and featured DJ Johnny Star spinning CDs. Then, the early evening was rocked with tunes from the '50s, '60s, and '70s with the timeless sounds of Papa Clutch and the Shifters, followed by the well-known '70s group, Rare Earth. On Monday, the Peppermill officially kicked off the week-long festivities with a party and live entertainment by Johnny Baron and the Bel Aires, The Ragtops, and Johnny Slick and the Cheaters. The rest of the week, folks were entertained by the tunes of the past by Three Dog Night, Lil' Elmo and the Cosmos, Johnny Rivers, Herman's Hermits, Peter Noon, B.J. Thomas, Engelbert Humperdinck, Felix Cavaliere of The Rascals, The Village People, The Platters' Sonny Turner, Dion, Ronny and the Classics, Tony Vee, and The Beach Boys. Tuesday's time was taken up by car participant check-ins at the Hilton, Atlantis, Peppermill Casinos, and Summit Racing, which hosted the show 'n' shines. These casino extravaganzas were carried on throughout the week. Sparks, Nevada, which is fused to the east side of Reno, begins its Hot August Nights happenings at Vickie's Crown Caf with nightly cruising down Victorian Avenue and daily show-'n'-shines that included a free concert with Three Dog Night. Downtown Reno got fired up again on Wednesday with a show 'n' shine and cruise on the famous Victoria Street, which is in front of Harrah's, the Silver Legacy, Circus Circus, the Eldorado, and Fitzgerald's Casino. Some of the numerous activities that followed all week included an enormous craft show, an automotive swap meet, a golf tournament, and The Silver Auction. The Reno Hilton opened its entire northwest parking lot, creating endless rows of beautiful custom trucks and cars on display at Hamburger Haven, free outdoor concerts during the afternoon and evenings, and a massive Vendors Village that showed off the latest automotive and truck aftermarket products.
During the week, major casinos in Reno and Sparks supported the more than 5,000 custom rides with show-'n'-shines and cruising trips all over the map. The Beach Boys came into town Friday with their great harmony and surfing sounds. Mario Andretti told racing stories and signed autographs on Friday. On Saturday, Dennis Gage, host of My Classic Car, and the stars from the movie American Graffiti joined the wheel-spinning.
The awards banquet was held at the Lawlor Events Center at the University of Nevada, Reno, followed by a closing parade, which was lined with thousands of spectators on both sides of Virginia Street. The Hot August Nights parade was led by the winning vehicles from the Celebrity Show 'n' Shine, followed by thousands of custom rides as they cruised abreast from the UNR campus. Due to time constraints, we weren't able to attend the entire week's show, but after all, we do have to create a magazine. This was an incredible week of cruising, outdoor concerts, food, and just great fun.