Assorted's Showfest 2K5 - Custom Truck Show

We've come to expect three things whenever the month of May rolls around, and we embark on our adventure that is making the trek to Assorted's (formerly known as Assorted Miniatures) annual Showfest event in Greenville, Mississippi. First off, we fully expect that either our luggage will get lost by the airline, our flight will get redirected to a destination nowhere near Greenville (read Detroit!), or that the right side jet engine of the 747 will implode, canceling our flight before it even leaves the runway. We also have come to expect and appreciate the brown water that is present in every single faucet of any hotel we stay in during the event. After a hot, sticky, and sweaty day of meeting and greeting truck owners, the slippery feeling of a shower in Greenville still feels somewhat refreshing. And the last and most important expectation we have of every trip to Showfest is that we'll be treated to an incredible selection of high-end custom trucks from across the country, all concentrated in just a few acres of land. This year's event was all that and more, and although our air travel was the usual pain-in-the-ass exercise in patience, the show was off the chain.

Greenville has been our own personal Mecca for custom trucks, since it began hosting Assorted's benefit show 10 years ago at the Washington County Convention Center. All proceeds from the show are donated to the Mississippi Firefighters Memorial Burn Association. The show itself draws the cream of the custom truck crop from all corners of the nation, and this year offered a stellar lineup of vendors including Ekstensive Metal Works, Kicker, Billet Accessories Direct, Air Lift Company, Kaik Products, Gas Monkey Garage, IF Customs, Drop'em Wear, Kustom Ink Klothing, Phlat Out Magazine, and Graphic Hut. We'd like to thank Kaik Products fabricating the killer Best Of trophies handed to the top trucks in attendance this year.

While the show provides an audience for every customizer to show off the latest trends in truck shaping, it's the night life that keeps 'em coming back for more and boosted Showfest to near legendary status. The strip of hotels along Highway 82 provides the perfect backdrop for cruising and indeed it's the cruising, combined with the quality custom trucks in the show that have made this event so enjoyable in the past. After a hard day of detailing and judging, attendees can park their lawn chairs along the strip and bench-race the night away with friends as the spark show commences. Although this year's cruising was inhibited by a traffic jam (and the inevitable problems that occur when too many pedestrians and vehicles are jammed into one area) that was so congested that even Southern California residents would be proud of, we still say Greenville is worth the trip. As this issue went to press, we couldn't confirm the details of next year's event for you. But, keep an eye on Sport Truck's event calendar from now on, and we'll keep you posted on the next installment of this awesome event. Or you can call or e-mail Assorted at (601) 924-1706, (318) 428-2002, Showfest@aol.com