Classic cars, ‘Duke Boy’ to headline show this weekend

An annual event in Monticello will bring folks together for family fun, classic and custom cars and a guest appearance by one of the Duke boys. 

The 57th annual O’Reilly Auto Parts Rod & Custom Car Show will take place this upcoming weekend at the Berndes Center, 766 N. Maple St. in Monticello. Hours are 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 21 and from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 22. Saturday is “date night,” where all women will be admitted to the event for free. Awards will be presented at 5:30 p.m. Sunday. 

Admission is $15 for adults and $5 for children 13 and older. Kids aged 12 and younger get in free with a paying adult. Attendees can have $1 taken off their admission fee by bringing a canned food item for the Monticello Food Pantry. Parking is free. 

Organizers Tom and Galen Muller said in a press release that attendees will find vintage street cars, custom cars, street machines, hot pickups, race cars and custom motorcycles at the show. The classic vehicle exhibits will come from across the Midwest, and many will be at the event for the first time, organizers said. Among the classic cars will be a 1932 Ford three-window coupe with 1960s hot-rod styling. Awards will be presented to exhibitors; last year, more than 60 trophies and 30 prizes were awarded. 

Additional attractions will include music and commentary by 3D Sound Company, free caricatures by artist David Fliss, a balloon artist handing out free creations and a Knoxville Raceway simulator. 

Attendees will also have the chance to meet Tom Wopat, who played protagonist Luke Duke in the American classic television show, “Dukes of Hazzard.”

Wopat, who grew up in south-central Wisconsin, told the Express he’s looking forward to returning to Iowa. 

“Car shows are kind of our bailiwick, me and (John) Schneider (who played Bo Duke in the show),” Wopat said. “We spend a lot of time at car shows.” 

Wopat said he was in Monticello 11 years ago for the annual car show, and said he expects a General Lee car to be in attendance. Memorabilia from “Dukes of Hazzard” will be available, Wopat said. 

While Wopat, 74, won’t be performing any of his signature hood slides, he will be selling CDs and DVDs documenting his music career, which has spanned decades and includes newly released material from a recent big band performance in Wisconsin. Wopat said he’ll be happy to sign autographs for anyone with memorabilia or simply talk about the show. 

“We are blessed that fans keep coming up,” Wopat told the Express. “In my experience in showbusiness, you can never foretell something like that will happen, but this is one of those shows that seems to have a long life, and people hand it down to their kids. Sometimes I sign stuff for kids that are 4 or 5 years old.”

He said appearing at events like the O’Reilly Auto Parts Rod & Custom Car Show gives him a chance to talk shop with fans. 

“Those shows have a legacy, and our show is one of those where there was never really anything like it, and there really hasn’t been anything like it since. Now, if you have a ’69 Charger and it isn’t painted orange, you’re an oddball,” Wopat joked.