Early-bird discount for BlackTop Nationals exhibitors

It seems like the car show season has just got underway, but there’s already a deadline coming up for one of the summer biggies.

The BlackTop Nationals at the Wichita River Festival will run June 9-11, but for those looking to get a jump on things, there’s an early bird discount for exhibitors available. You can sign up to display your vehicle online at wichitariverfest.com and qualify for the discount, but only through May 15.

That’s a bit over two weeks from now, so don’t say you haven’t been warned. If you miss the early bird deal, you can still get your car in the show, though.

Some changes have taken place in the organization and presentation of BTN, with Ford Motor Co. having bought the rights to the show and Wichita Festivals Inc. producing the actual event.

Ford and the Midwest Ford Dealers have been involved with BTN almost since the outset, displaying all kinds of new vehicles and sponsoring such popular attractions as the Dyno Drags, the Ford Ride & Drive and Ford Hot Laps. That will continue.

The River Festival folks tell us they will focus on security, traffic issues and the other mundane stuff that goes along with staging a major car show. That will free up the car folks to concentrate on the hands-on stuff like registration, show car parking and judging.

That means volunteers to will be needed for the day-to-day tasks. You can find more information on how to get involved in volunteering at the River Festival website.

The indoor Million $ Car Show will become the Admiral’s Collection, with reconfigured display areas, while the outdoor judged competition will again be conducted in the area around Century II.

“It will all be accessible with a River Festival button,” said Teri Mott, marketing and communication director for Wichita Festivals Inc.

No separate admission charge will be required for BTN events. The Kansas Sunflower Swap Meet for Charity presented a check for $15,00 to the Arc of Sedgwick County last week.

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The Kansas Sunflower Swap Meet for Charity presented a check for $15,000 to the Arc of Sedgwick County last week.

John Saindon bought the swap meet last year and sat it up as a not-for-profit charity. He said the Arc was chosen to receive this year’s donation because of the type of service they provide to individuals with developmental disabilities, often in cases where there are no longer parents to serve as caretakers.

“The Arc steps in and makes sure when the caregivers are gone … their lives are not interrupted. They do a great job of that,” he said.

This story was originally published April 27, 2016 at 10:20 AM with the headline "Early-bird discount for BlackTop Nationals exhibitors."