Event Duration: June 2-5, 2022
Head to the South Dakota State Fairgrounds in Huron for the Wheel Jam and Original South Dakota BBQ Championships this June.
The event offers everything from car and motorcycle shows to tastings of delicious barbecue dishes.
“Come to Wheel Jam but then come and make a day of our diverse restaurants and great places around Huron,” said Laurie Shelton, CEO and president of the Huron Chamber and Visitors Bureau.
Event Details
Dates: June 2-5
Location: South Dakota State Fairgrounds
Wheel Jam Admission: Free
Related Events Admission: Prices vary
Roll into Wheel Jam
“Wheel Jam is everything wheels—thousands of wheels,” said Shelton. “It started out as a semi truck show. So they have a big truck show, dynamic brake competition, motorcycle events, and car events.”
Each day offers something new.
There are racing events like the Wild Race Car Night on Thursday and the Challenge Cup XX Stock Car Races on Saturday.
Friday starts the Wheel Jam Truck Show for 18-wheelers, which runs the whole weekend. Next is the Poker Run and live music with Eclipse and TODD.
Saturday’s live music will be from the Devon Worley Band’s mix of country and rock.
If you have some wheels of your own, register them for the Cruisers Car Show, Xtreme GraphiX Bike Show, Pick-Up Party, Classic Car and Motorcycle Show ‘n’ Shine, and the Wheel Jam Parade.
Some other fun competitions to enter are the Bass Wars Sound Competition, the Dynamic Engine Brake Competition, and the Biker Games.
Don’t Miss in Huron
Putters and Scoops
Fire Pit Pizzaria
Cookie Dough Cupcakes
Manolis Grocery
POP
Splash Central Waterpark
Aroma Coffee and Cafe
Don’t Spill the Beans
World’s Largest Pheasant
Ravine Lake
Become a BBQ Critic
On a separate part of the fairgrounds, there’s the South Dakota BBQ Championships, which is a Kansas City BBQ Society (KCBS) sanctioned event.
“We want to invite people to come, purchase a ticket, then on Friday they taste chili, and on Saturday there’s a Backyard BBQ competition,” said Shelton.
It attracts chefs of all kinds.
“We bring in teams who compete for KCBS points that get them national recognition,” said Shelton, noting that there are two parts of the event. “We get a good amount of teams that come in from all over to cook for the KCBS side. Then we have some KCBS teams and local people who like Backyard BBQ.”
So cooking doesn’t have to be your profession to see if you’re a grill master in this competition.
“You just come, cook, and serve the public, and people can vote on their favorite meat,” said Shelton.
“Brisket, pulled pork, chicken, lamb, and those meats are donated to the cooks for our competition.” – Laurie Shelton
Spend the Weekend
While you’re in town, there are plenty of businesses and restaurants worth checking out.
Every morning, try a new brew in Huron before heading to the Wheel Jam.
“Look at our unique coffee shops like Don’t Spill the Beans and Aroma Coffee and Cafe,” said Shelton.
Families who come into town need to swing all of the fun places that offer activities for all ages.
“When people come to town, we have an awesome waterpark: Splash Central Waterpark. The waterpark opened in 2015,” said Shelton, insisting that Ravine Lake is also a must-see.
“They have live music on Friday and Saturday night.” – Laurie Shelton
After the waterworks, grab some ice cream at POP or Putters and Scoops if you want to play a round of minigolf with your treat.
Or if ice cream isn’t for you, try the specialty recipes at Cookie Dough Cupcakes.
“We have a diverse food culture here,” explained Shelton. “None of these are chains. They’re just mom and pop businesses that provide great food.”
Try everything from Thai food to Mexican to the local Fire Pit Pizzaria.
And a local favorite hang out that you can’t miss is Manolis Grocery, the state’s oldest grocery store according to Shelton.
“It’s a sandwich shop with groceries, where you can also have a beer or wine,” said Shelton.
Wherever you choose to shop and munch, explore Huron to make the most of your weekend.
