Hot Summer Nites moving out of downtown Sioux Falls

A popular downtown event is moving from its long-time home to the fairgrounds.

Hot Summer Nites, an annual showcase for Chevrolet Corvettes and their fans, is exiting its regular spot in downtown Sioux Falls to better fit future growth of the event, announced organizers.

Downtown Sioux Falls Inc. and Sioux Falls Corvette Club made a joint announcement Tuesday. They said the organizations tried and failed to find a better downtown location for the event, which was throttled in recent years to allow for traffic flow and an increasingly vibrant downtown. So the Corvette Club made the decision to move Hot Summer Nites to the W.H. Lyon Fairgrounds.

"DTSF and the Sioux Falls Corvette Club have developed a 25-years history rich with sustained growth, which makes parting ways difficult but necessary," said DTSF President Joe Batcheller in the statement. "We support the Corvette Club's decision and wish them continued success."

Hot Summer Nites is scheduled for July 17.

In a separate news release sent by the Sioux Falls Corvette Club, it promised the move to the fairgrounds would mean some expanded offerings.

"The move to the fairgrounds will allow for more family friendly activities and events in preparation for this year and the years leading up to the 50th anniversary of the Black Hills Corvette Classic," the organization said, promising to release additional details as they became available.

The Corvette Club was founded over 30 years ago at the Tea Steakhouse, where Corvette enthusiasts met the night before the Black Hills Corvette Classic in Spearfish. The event grew and was moved to downtown Sioux Falls 25 years ago.

"The Sioux Falls Corvette Club would like to thank the city of Tea and Downtown Sioux Falls for their years of support and cooperation with this show," the organization said in its statement. "We look forward to expanding the activities associated with this event."