October 1–3, 2027 · The Legacy Edition
The show is a full weekend campout. Camping opens Friday evening, the show runs all day Saturday, and we pack out Sunday. Below: the whole itinerary and the park layout so you know exactly where everything is before you roll in.
The annual show
Once a year, the Great Plains VW Show is the VW-only event we build everything around — a three-day campout. Camp Friday and Saturday night, catch a movie in the park after dark, and spend Saturday on the show field. The Top 25, the Legacy Award, swap meet, vendor market, LEGO build for the kids — the whole deal. And for 2027, the whole show wears the colors of our Legacy Award winner.
Friday to Sunday
Three days, two nights, one show field. Camping runs Friday and Saturday night, Saturday is the main show day, and Sunday is pack-out. Times are firm unless we say otherwise — check Facebook for anything that moves.
Camping opens & movie night
Roll in, pick your spot, get set up. Tent and RV sites are on the north side of the show field — see the park layout below.
Once everybody's campsite is set up, we put a movie up under the stars. Bring a chair, bring a blanket, bring the kids.
Main show day
Show entrants pull in, park anywhere on the show field, and grab a dash plaque. Free to show up before 8:00 if you'd rather get in early — nobody's turning you away.
Vendors selling, swap meet going, food trucks rolling. The grounds are full.
One hour on the clock. Build a VW — or whatever you think a car should look like — from scratch.
Builds go up for judging and we hand out the kids' awards right after.
The Top 25, then the specialty awards, then the Legacy Award to close it out — the car that becomes the face of the 2028 show.
Second night under the stars for everybody camping over.
Pack out
Take your time, help your neighbor, leave the site better than you found it. Farewell till next year.
Know before you go
Hap McLean Park, drawn to scale on current aerial imagery. Sheet 1 is the whole site — where to park, where to camp, and how show cars get in. Sheet 2 is the event area up close — vendor rows, food trucks, registration, the kids' area, and the emergency lane. Tap either sheet for the full-size version.
Bring your VW
No classes. No brackets, no categories, no being sorted by year or engine. One field, every VW judged against the whole show, and twenty-five awards at the end of the day.
Our judges walk the entire field and look at every single car, one at a time. For each one they answer a single question: does this car belong in the Top 25 of this show? The twenty-five cars the judges most agree on take the awards.
There's no 1st through 25th and no running order. A Top 25 award is a Top 25 award, whether your car is the first one called or the last. Everyone in the twenty-five gets the same decal.
If you're judging, you sit out your own vehicle — no exceptions, no matter who you are. Our scoring accounts for it, so sitting out never costs that car a thing.
Air-cooled, water-cooled, EV, buggy, bus, or a project you drove in on faith — if it's registered, it's in the running. No extra entry, no extra fee, nothing to sign up for.
Beyond the Top 25
Six specialty awards handed out alongside the Top 25 — the trophies for the cars and the people the judging sheet was never going to catch on its own. The Legacy Award closes the show.
One car becomes next year's show.
Every year, Justin and Jonmark walk the field and pick our absolute favorite vehicle at the show — shiny, rusty, new, or old. Not a points sheet, not a tally of votes. The car we can't stop thinking about.
The winner becomes the face of the following year's show: your car on the official show shirt, on the flyers, on the dash plaque, and on this website. The whole show follows — the 2026 winner is a European-market oval-window Beetle, so 2027 is green, chrome, and 1950s from top to bottom.
It's the best award you can win at Great Plains VW Show, and it's why we call this The People's Show. Every registered car is automatically in the running — no extra entry, no fee. Just bring the car that makes people stop walking.
Awarded to the most active car club at the show. To be eligible, your registered drivers need their club listed on their CarShowPro profile so we can count heads — bring your crew, rep your colors, take home the Cup.
Voted on by attendees throughout the day. The car that wins the crowd.
For the slammed, scraped, lowest-of-the-low. Static or bagged — if it's hugging the asphalt, it's in the running.
Best actual camping setup — awnings, build-outs, kitchen rigs, the whole package. Whatever you've turned into a home on wheels.
The patina survivor award. Honest rust, faded paint, period-correct wear — cars that earned every mark they're wearing.
Get your car in
Registration for the 2027 show isn't open yet. When it is, it'll be posted here, on Facebook, and on Instagram first. Here's how it worked in 2026 so you know what to expect.
Pre-registered drivers get a free show shirt, and the first 50 get the official custom nylon swag bag packed with goodies from our sponsors. Priority move-in starts at 8 AM show day. 2027 pricing and the sign-up link will be announced when registration opens.
Opens 8 AM, closes 11 AM on show day. Same dash plaque and the same shot at the Top 25 and the Legacy Award — but no shirt or swag bag, and you park wherever space is open. Plan on getting there early. Active duty & retired veterans register free — see below.
Free for all attendees.
No car, no ticket, no problem. Walk the show, hit the swap meet, shop the vendor market. Kids Korner and all kids activities are free — bring the whole family.
Thank you for your service. Active duty and retired veterans get free show registration. This offer is day-of only — register at the gate the morning of the show, head to the registration booth, and bring military ID (active or retired) for verification. We'll take care of the rest.
Want to be first to know? Follow the show on Facebook or Instagram, or email Greatplainsvwshow@gmail.com with questions about merch, t-shirts, or anything else.
Buying, selling, hanging out
Got parts to move? Bring them. The swap meet is free to participate — no booth fee, no setup hassle. First come, first served on tailgate space. Cash, Venmo, PayPal, whatever works between buyer and seller.
Selling parts, gear, swag, food, services? Apply for a vendor space. Pricing varies by booth size — email us for the vendor packet.
Vendor InquiryOn-site food vendors all day. Bring water — Kansas weather does what it wants. The 2027 food lineup will be posted closer to the show.
Where it goes down
Hap McLean Park in Park City, Kansas — just north of Wichita, right off I-135. Easy interstate access, plenty of parking, and big open park space for the show.
Free spectator parking on-site. Show car parking is in the designated show area — pre-registered move-in starts at 8 AM.
Several options 10–15 minutes away in Wichita and Park City. We'll post a recommended-hotel list closer to the show.
Quick answers
Nope. The show is VW-only for entries, but spectators are welcome regardless of what you drive. Come hang out, walk the show, hit the swap meet.
This is a VW-only show — only Volkswagens can register and be judged. Audis, Porsches, and other makes are welcome to attend as spectators. Bring whatever you drive, just don't expect a trophy if it isn't a VW.
Dogs on leash welcome. Kids absolutely welcome (we have a Kids Korner). Coolers — yes for non-alcoholic. Alcohol policy will be posted closer to event.
Show goes on in light rain. Severe weather (tornado warning, lightning) we'll postpone or cancel — announcements will go out on Facebook and via the email list.
Yes — and we'd love it. Email us with your club name and approximate count and we'll save adjacent parking. Cruise-in coordination welcome.
Save the date
Registration opens later — for now, get the weekend on your calendar and start on the car. The Legacy Award is up for grabs again.
📅 Add to CalendarContact
Questions about registration, merch, t-shirts, vendor space, or anything else show-related — email the show address below. For sponsorship, head to the Sponsor page to reach the team directly.