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Kool Deadwood Nites

Written by: Lacey Healy

Summer has officially arrived. It's time for outdoor cooking, concerts and car shows. And along with these hot summer days in South Dakota come Kool Deadwood Nites. What is Kool Deadwood Nites? The event website describes it perfectly. "Kool Deadwood Nites brings car lovers together for four days full of classic cars, classic music and classic fun. It’s a 50’s and 60’s sock hop - Deadwood style. Enjoy parades, show and shines and FREE concerts on Main Street featuring the biggest names in rock ‘n roll history." Mark your calendars as busy for August 25-28, 2016, because it's the annual event you do not want to miss. With entertainment that is sure to please and an event schedule that will not disappoint, this year's
Kool Deadwood Nites is not one to miss.

The Events
The 2016 Kool Deadwood Nites event schedule is jam packed with events for every make and model of person. For the history buffs, there's a historic look at the automobile each day during Kool Deadwood Nites. According to the event schedule, this look back is aptly named, "Early Automobiles in the Black Hills.” The Adams Museum will host a photographic exhibit to celebrate Kool Deadwood Nites with admission by donation. For the dancers is the 8th Annual Sock Hop on Thursday, featuring Art Poco’s The Rat Pack, held right on Main Street.

And speaking of great music, 2016's Kool Deadwood Nites schedule is jam packed with melodious entertainment each night on Main Street. Bring your chair and get a good seat for Art Poco’s Rat Pack playing on Thursday, The Sweet, playing on Friday, and Gary Lewis & The Playboys playing on Saturday. Other regional and national artists will be playing throughout the weekend.

Car enthusiasts, this is the event schedule for you! There's the usual car show and a parade, but there's also a Rod Run, Poker Run and a Classic Car Auction that will appease your thirst for all things automotive. This year's Rod Run is scheduled for Friday, August 26th.
It's an, "Escorted tour through beautiful Vanocker Canyon including a trip to the Sturgis Dragway, and a chance to run the track! Or, take a trek through famous Spearfish Canyon with a stop at Carsten's Cottages for live entertainment and more! Free breakfast for all participants at the Lodge at Deadwood from 8-10am!" And once the Deadwood Rod Run is complete, head over to the Deadwood Mountain Grand for the McPherson Auction and Realty Memorabilia and Classic Car Auction starting at 9:00am and 10:00am respectively both Friday and Saturday. An additional Classic Car Auction will also be held Saturday, August 27th at 10:00am. The Classic Car Competition and Judging is held Saturday morning, where the lovers of the automobile can see gorgeous machines and chat with their owners about all things automotive. This year's Poker Runs are also held Saturday with stops throughout the scenic and beautiful Black Hills. Awards for this event will be presented Saturday evening at Tin Lizzie. And we can't forget the Kool Deadwood Nites parade. It's the unofficial beginning of the end of this year's celebration, with a Show and Shine immediately following on Main Street.

The Car
As a tradition in Kool Deadwood Nites history, the previous year's Committee's Choice Winner (Best of Show) will be the featured vehicle on promotional items, including our magazine cover, and will lead the parade on Sunday morning. 2015's winner was Clayton Graham and his 1969 Chevy Camaro, aptly nicknamed the "T-Rex." Unlike the usual Best of Show winner, this Camaro isn't a bright, luminous color, but instead it's a subdued glistening green, a color Graham custom made for his Camaro. Graham and his wife enjoy coming to Kool Deadwood Nites, and when he found and finished this 1969 piece of muscle, he was sure to bring it to Deadwood to show off. Little did he know he would win the competition and receive an amazing prize package. "I couldn't believe all the things they gave me, my car will be on posters and t-shirts among other things. It's almost embarrassing! But I'm very grateful, both to the event and those who voted for my Camaro. The car was impeccably restored at G3 Rods in Rapid City, and I'm grateful for this experience.”

The Auction
For 18 years, McPherson Auction and Realty Company has been handling the Memorabilia and Classic Car Auction for Kool Deadwood Nites. As a third-generation family-owned and operated auction company, Kevin McPherson and his family have big plans for this year’s auction at the Deadwood Mountain Grand. The auction takes place in the hotel and casino’s concert hall, which is an expansive space, but McPherson has no worry that the space will be filled during the Kool Deadwood Nites Memorabilia and Classic Car Auction. He notes that, “It’s a large room, but when we have the auction we will fill that concert hall. Our auctions will be held both August 26th and 27th, and will start at 10:00am with cars. 9:00am with memorabilia both days. The memorabilia auction will have items like old gas signs and gas pumps among many other items. I call these the ‘Man Cave Necessities.’ We will have approximately 100 cars each day, so right around 200 cars total for this year’s event.”
The auction boasts a wide variety of vehicles such as muscle cars, street rods, show cars and parade cars to name a few, including some of these highlights:

•   1969 Mustang Boss 429
•   1957 Chevy Bel Air Convertible
•   1962 Impala SS 409
•   1969 Mercury Cyclone
   Cobra Jet 428
•   1969 Chevy Camaro Z28
•   1970 Pontiac GTO VOE Humbler
   400 (only 233 of these vehicles made)
•   1957 Chevy Cameo Pickup

McPherson remembers two years ago when a 1969 Yenko Camaro and a 1969 Boss 429 came across his auction block at Kool Deadwood Nites. “We sold them back to back at high noon on Saturday, and both of those cars brought right at $200,000 apiece. We are excited to have another Boss 429 available for auction again this year.”

McPherson and his family had a rare opportunity last year at Kool Deadwood Nites that they will once again have the chance to be a part of again in 2016. "Mike Peterson and his wife, Carole, sold a car for charity last year at our event. We sold the car with no commission involved, and the car brought right at $50,000. $25,000 of the proceeds went to the Ronald McDonald House, and we split our half between the Deadwood VFW and the Wounded Warrior Project. Mike and Carole will be donating another vehicle this year as well. This year’s charity car is a 1966 Mustang GT Coupe. This Mustang is currently on display in the showroom at Scott Peterson Motors in Sturgis, SD through the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, after which it will head to Deadwood. This car could bring another $50,000 to be given to charity, with half of the proceeds going to the Ronald McDonald House once again, and a portion of the other half going to the Deadwood VFW as well. We haven’t decided where the other portion will be going just yet. Last year was our first year having a charity car to auction off and to have it again this year is really cool. To top it off, to have the vehicle come from one family, and have them donating $50,000 to charity for two years in a row is an amazing experience that we are proud to be a part of.”

Through their auctions, McPherson and his family have an opportunity to meet a large range of people from across the United States, and even those attending the event from overseas. “For three years in a row now, we’ve had a repeat customer from England who comes over and he loves coming here. Every year he has purchased at least a semi-load of vehicles. He loves coming to Deadwood over other auctions because of the down home hospitality. Our family and our group has become acquainted with him. It's the Western hospitality that the Black Hills offers, not only Deadwood and the Deadwood Mountain Grand, but it's the whole area and how we treat visitors that keeps bringing people back."

Dale and Dorothy McPherson founded the auction business in 1949. The entire McPherson family is involved in the annual event, including son Kevin, his wife, Angela, and their children, Carter, Ethan, Cadence and Bergan; as well as son Todd and his children, Alex and Kassi, along with many friends.

"A big thank you to all the workers, sponsors, vendors, buyers and sellers. We look forward to seeing you in Deadwood, August 26th and 27th." - McPherson Auction & Realty Co. Since 1949

Kool Deadwood Nites - Mark your calendars to attend this one-of-a-kind annual event! TMM

July 2016

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