This show has been slowly rebounding from its ups and downs over the years. For the last three years, the new owners and operators of Southeast Mini Truckin' Nats have been slaving away trying to bring the show's numbers and popularity back to where they were in the '90s. So far, they've been increasingly successful with each passing year.

For the twelfth year, Dropjaw presented and hosted Freak Show 12 located at the Lenoir County Fairgrounds in Kinston, North Carolina. Unfortunately, Hurricane Sandy had other plans for that weekend. As rain and winds up to 50 mph whipped through the campground area, the loyal minitruckers held their ground and set out to enjoy every minute of the hurricane-dampened event. Billed as an 18 and over event, I quickly learned why. The party starts on Friday night with rock bands and rap bands battling it out with the crowd, and once the music was packed away, the real party began.

A trip to the Northwest will do lots of good for ya. The air is cleaner, mountain ranges and lush forests provide for a scenic landscape, and the minitrucks running around are some of the finest around.

The MAPS Air Museum in North Canton, Ohio, is ground zero for one of the Midwest's premier show. Being a little later in the year, Dropt gives car and truck fiends a great opportunity to hit another show before the slap of winter's hand comes down.

FEBRUARY

In 2006, Perfect Poise began hosting their annual Cruise to the Pines. The cruise consists of an open invitation to caravan from the deserts of Phoenix to the beautiful northern pines of Prescott, Arizona. The route takes place on the rural highways of Arizona allowing many people a new opportunity to see landscapes they might not have realized were in their own backyard. The club had made arrangements with the Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University to host the car show for the day and some of the most detailed and creatively built rides around covered the university landscape while their owners spent the day relaxing and sharing stories with one another.

As my show season starts winding down, I'm guaranteed a few things; my home-related projects are all awaiting my full attention, hangovers won't come as often, and I get to end my show tour with the one and only Siknic. Yep, that off-the-chain show with the off-the-wall name.

Underneath the glitz and glamour of the of Las Vegas neon lights, is the SEMA show, which brings with it its own brand of style and grace. Industry insiders from every corner of the globe gather in the Nevada desert to be among the first to witness the latest in automotive innovation in its purest form.

January
Cavalcade of Customs
January 11-13—Cincinnati, OH
Held at the Duke Energy Center, you can get out of the freezing cold and check out this hot indoor show featuring custom trucks, rods, classics, and a tribute to three generations of the Bat mobile. Throw all that together with the pinup girl contest and a good ol car crush, and you’re bound to have a good time. More info is available at autorama.com.

When promoters of a truck show change venues or the dates, it usually proves to be a bad move. And when both the location and dates are changed during the same year, it could mean certain disaster. Well not so for Robbie Bryant and all the great staff that has put on Slamily Reunion for the last four years. The move ended up being great for the show, the new show ground was cleaner, and the temperature was almost 40 degrees coolers than years past. It even rained all weekend but no one seemed to mind, and the show still pulled in over 400 rides.

Low Down is a truck run—and a badass, three-day one at that. The Underground Kustomz club has been doing their best to keep the Northwest on the map, and honestly, they’re doing a stellar job.

One of the most anticipated shows of the year is Relaxed Atmosphere’s All Star Event. Everyone knows this, which is why the turnout is filled with established magazine stars, trucks on deck to be featured, and rookies looking to make it big.

Enthusiasts of the van and truck scene travelled far and wide to experience one hell of a show and three crazy nights of camping, BBQs, and campfires. The evening entertainment included a wet T-shirt contest, live music, a pajama themed party, and the NHL playoff game displayed on a huge projector screen compliments of Low Life Miniz & Customz.

Luckily this show, organized by the fine males and females of the Low Rollers crew, represents the end of the calendar season, not the show season. Numbers wise, the field was said to be a little on the low side compared to years past, but what it turned into was an almost pure minitruck show—with top-notch quality all around. The ratio of cover and feature trucks, as well as future stars, outnumbered what the figure usually is at a lot of other shows.

Visalia, California, is the place where Danger Zone, a one-day truck fiesta, takes place every year. If you've never been to California's central valley, you'd swear that there wouldn't be any custom trucks anywhere in the vicinity because of all the farmland. In fact, that rationalization would be 100-percent incorrect. The fertile land is just as good for homegrown, well-built mini, fullsize, and classic trucks as it is for agricultural purposes.

Throwing a show ain’t easy these days, and establishing a name for a brand new one is even tougher. In only its second year, Show Off Showdown—a Twisted Koncepts event, proved that the success of the inaugural show wasn’t a fluke.

"Not many people know how to party like the Freaks," says one minitrucker walking through the 8th annual Summer Showdown located at North Peach Park right in the center of historic Byron, Georgia. A change of location sparked a rejuvenated attendance with over 250 vehicles making their way into the spacious park, breaking all previous numbers even with the temperature hitting the triple-digits.

One thing that can be said about the people who take part in the minitruckin' lifestyle is that they have a never ending dedication to the shows that they love. No matter the distance or the weather, if it's an event they enjoy attending, they will make an appearance. This is something I've learned in the 10-plus years I've been doing this freelancing gig and it spits in the face of anyone saying that the scene is dead. My example to you: Spring Fling 2012 in Panama City Beach, Florida, held by Vital Signs Street Designs.

NOVEMBER

1. Run To The Hills
November 17-18—Morristown, TN

Hit the show for a swap meet, food, vendors, music, BBQ competition, and of source some cool cars, trucks, and motorcycles. Awards will be given to the top 50 in the field. For more info, go to www.run2thehills.net.

2. AutoRama
November 23-25—Houston, TX

Held at the George R. Brown Convention Center, the Houston stop of the AutoRama tour is going to be as awesome as it is every year. Only the best of the best cars and trucks gather to show here! For more information, visit www.autorama.com.

October

1. Dropt & Destroyed
October 6-7 -- North Canton, OH
This event is held once again at the awesome MAPS air museum. Help the Dropt Out crew celebrate the 9th anniversary of their show that brings Midwest minitruckers together every year. For further info, check out www.droptout.com

2.Battle Drag
October 12-14 -- La Marque, TX
Back for the 8th year is Battle Drag -- one of Texas' most unique car and truck shows. Check out the $1,000 bikini contest, live graffiti demo, club games, live DJs, or just walk around and drool over the beautiful rides in attendance. Active duty military, police, and firefighters free with valid ID. For more info, visit www.battledrag.com

3. C.M.T.C. Council Run
October 19-21 -- San Bernardino, CA
The Southern California Mini Truck Council's Council Run #36 will be held at the Glen Helen Regional Park in sunny So Cal. For more information, visit www.scmtc.com

4. Last Resort
October 19-21 -- Jennings, LA
Get there early for the Friday hospitality night for some authentic Louisiana gumbo, and camp out the rest of the weekend! This show is always a good time and is organized by good people. For more information, visit www.lastresortshow.com

5. Drop Em' Wear's First Fifth Annual Car Show
October 20 -- Winston-Salem, NC
OK, so this is Drop Em's 5th annual show, it's just the first time they are throwing their 5th annual show. Don't let yourself get confused, just show up, and you'll be good to go! More info is available at www.dropemwear.com

6. Takin' It Back
October 20 -- Lake Park, GA
Takin' It Back, presented by Back 2 Basics, will be held at Uncle Freddy's Pub and Grill. Registration is only $20 day of the event, and come to compete in many classes and best of categories. More info is available at www.back2basicscc.net

Crossing the Northern border is still something that takes some getting used to. There’s the pretty (yet, fake looking) Canadian cash, the terrifying zombie warning labels on their smokes, and the quirky lingo that gets tossed around and leaves one wondering what the hell these people are even talking about. But one thing you can bank on when hitting a truck show in the great land of Canadia is the genuinely fantastic people that keep the very fabric of the custom scene tightly knit up there. You’d have to be loony (not loonie) to not want to make a northern trek at least once in your short life.

The 6th annual Midwest Mayhem, presented by Lucky's Autosports, still boasts being the largest outdoor show in Central Kentucky. And with the turnout this year, it doesn't look like that title will be changing hands any time soon.

Maybe there's nothing natural about throwing our brand of rage in the middle of miles of desolate cornfields, but it sure feels like it is. Once inside the Lake Waveland campground entrance, it feels like you've just been spit out of one of those green warping pipes from Super Mario Bros. From farmland to minitruck dreamland—instantly. There are tons of trucks cruising in every direction, bikini tops at every turn, and friends hanging out barbequing under the shade. And this is just the calm daytime scene. Nightfall brings out the sleeping beast from within. And this beast parties like the sh!t is going out of style.

A decade is a long time to be involved in anything whether it's gator wrestling or throwing a huge car and truck show. Greg Miller dabbles in both, but he has gained most of his notoriety from the overwhelming success of Scrapin' The Coast. 2012 marked the 10-year anniversary of the show, and the STC promoters and staff treated the promotion and planning of the show like cruising the strip and parking lot pimpin' was to go out of style or something. Being at Scrapin' felt like being at a three-day party! The lazy beach town of Biloxi, Mississippi, was definitely ours for the taking—for the weekend, anyway.