The roar of engines is just the opening note. What started as a handful of car lovers swapping stories in the 1970s has become a weekend that fills Bowman’s Main Street, books every hotel, and draws families from across the Upper Midwest. We sit down with Ryan Shear and Kevin Hilton from the Dakota Territory Car Club to share how a leadership reset and a back-to-basics approach transformed a small-town show into a regional anchor between Bismarck-Mandan and Cool Deadwood Nights.

We dig into the club’s secret sauce: show up, help out, and make it easy for people to belong. Membership swelled from a few dozen to nearly 200, with more than half joining for the social life as much as the chrome. Along the way, the club turned community need into action—staffing parades, serving burgers at show-and-shines, running indoor trunk-or-treat when the weather bites, and raising over $14,000 in one evening for a local medical benefit. That service-first mindset powers a weekend designed for neighbors and travelers alike: Friday night socials with pre-registration and vehicle previews, a Saturday morning breakfast, streets lined with cars, and kids’ games that keep the youngest gearheads smiling.

We also spotlight the classic car auction that now caps at 50 lots for quality and pace. It’s a Main Street spectacle that draws bidders from across the country and sends cars to new garages far beyond county lines. When the sun drops, the stage lights up for a free concert funded by local donors and sponsors—a promise that keeps the event welcoming and the sidewalks packed. Expect practical details on dates, how to pre-register for free until June, where to consign for the sale, and why this weekend has become a can’t-miss stop on the summer calendar.

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