Minden's not-so-Hot August Nights still draws crowd

When Hot August Nights came to Minden on Thursday the weather seemed more like October.

"We had six weeks of beautiful warm weather and then when the day comes, it's October," said Carson Valley Chamber of Commerce Director Bill Chernock.

More than 400 cars participating in the annual Reno event visited Minden despite the rain and hail that accompanied a day when the temperatures failed to crack 70 degrees.

"We like to get more cars and for folks who are coming through to park them for awhile," he said.

Chernock said members of the Valley Cruisers handled the traffic flow through the Douglas County seat.

"The Valley Cruisers did a great job of traffic control and parking," he said. "It doesn't happen without their help."

He said Hot August Nights organizers who hadn't been down to Minden before were impressed.

"They said it was just perfect," he said. "Next year we hope it will be what it's supposed to be - bright sunshine and warm. And that people will stay around for a couple of hours."

Hot August Nights, which attracts 800,000 people to Reno every August, wraps up 10 a.m. today with the official parade in downtown Reno and awards.

Carson Valley hosts its own tributes to the internal combustion engine next weekend with the Valley Cruisers 22nd annual Main Street Event starting Friday, with events in Lampe Park and downtown Minden, and the annual antique tractor show Saturday and Sunday at Heybourne Road and Stephanie Way.