One of the biggest events in the vintage snowmobile world is returning to its roots… kind of. 

     The Midwest Ride-In event – often referred to simply as “Waconia” due to its longtime location – isn’t actually returning to Waconia, Minnesota, for its 35^th event. It is, however, returning to a smaller property in the Minneapolis western suburbs that includes a lake. Kind of like Waconia originally was.

       The host Midwest Vintage Snowmobile Shows Inc. group announced on August 18 that the annual get together will move to Dehn’s Pumpkins & Event Center in  Dayton, Minnesota. The 2026 dates are January 30-31.

     The Midwest Ride-In was held for most of its life in Waconia – a distant southwest suburb of Minneapolis – on the shores of the aptly named Lake Waconia. The vintage extravaganza quickly grew from a local to a truly national event in scope that includes huge vintage displays, rides on vintage machinery, vintage races and more. And, the actual lake played a key part because it allowed for vintage snowmobile riding even whether there was a lot of snow on the ground or not.

     The problem was that while the Midwest Ride-In was growing, so was the city of Waconia. So was the value of the land that hosted part of the event. Somewhat pushed out of Waconia, the Midwest Vintage Snowmobile Shows group moved the Ride-In to the super-popular ERX Motor Park in Elk River, Minnesota, beginning in 2020.

     The Ride-in thrived at the ERX facility for the first couple of events – especially in years with decent snowfall. But the past couple of events there have struggled, thanks to Mother Nature’s snow stinginess and also the massive size of the facility – which spread out the crowd and led to long walks between event features.

     Ride-In officials we spoke with had nothing but good things to say about the ERX park and the friendliness of the staff there. But they said they had lost money there the last few years and were looking for a more concise and affordable area with a laketop to bring the show back to its folksy roots and glory.

     They believe they’ve found that at the Dehn facility. It abuts a 450-acre lake that can be used for the show and racing, snowmobile trails are nearby, there is a large indoor area  for the headquarters for the event and much more.

     Below is the press release from the Midwest Vintage Snowmobile Shows group. (All words below are there’s.)

MIDWEST RIDE-IN MOVES TO NEW LOCATION

You commented and we listened…

Midwest Vintage Snowmobile Shows, Inc. is proud to announce a new location for the 35th Annual Midwest Ride-In, January 30-31st, 2026.

Based on your feedback, we searched for a location adjacent to a lake that was close to the Twin Cities Metro area. In the Dayton/Osseo/Rogers area is Dehn’s Pumpkins & Event Center. It fits the bill because it is adjacent to 450-acre French Lake and also the NW Trails/Elm Creek Snowmobile Trail.

The venue allows us to reduce the footprint of our event, while retaining al the show elements that you have come to appreciate at the Midwest Ride-In – like trail rides, judged show, swap meet, and a heated event center.

Moreover, we are bringing back your favorites, like pork chops and “cruising the lake.”

Just off I-94 freeway, the new location feels rural, although it is within easy driving distance for our loyal (and new) fans. We are able to reduce admission pricing while also revising the experience and aura of past shows on Lake Waconia.

While we appreciate the support from ERX Motor Park over the past five events, this new venue represents an exciting new chapter in this “World’s Largest” vintage snowmobile event. Come check it out.

Our 35th annual show is on January 30-31, 2026. The theme is: “RACING THROUGH THE 90s.” Come see the largest assembly of antique, vintage, and classic-class snowmobiles tooling around Dehn’s Pumpkins & Events on French Lake!

Keep up to date by visiting our website: https://www.mwvss.com