Hot August Nights is officially wrapping up today as dozens of cars paraded through downtown this morning to mark the finale of the 39th annual nostalgic car show.

Local officials and businesses announced their award-winning picks at the Reno-Sparks Convention Center.

A lot of spectators seemed to enjoy the events this year, including Gary Harper. He says he enjoyed the festivities even though the main venue left the Grand Sierra Resort (GSR):

"I kind of miss them over there because they've got the hotel," Harper says, "And also the big lot."

Hot August Nights moved its main venue to the University of Nevada, Reno for 2025 due to construction at the GSR. Thankfully, that didn't affect the grand finale parade.

Dozens of cars paraded along North Virginia Street, starting at the University, passing under the Reno Arch, and ending at Liberty Street.

First up was Reno Police's motorcycles and a couple old cruisers, right in front of a classic fire engine from the Spalding Fire Department.

Once the parade wrapped up, over 30 cars received Celebrity Choice awards at the Reno-Sparks Convention Center.

Our very own Ryan Canaday picked out a 1969 AMC Javelin SST "Badger" for the 2 News Nevada award. Its owner Thor Jensen says his dad bought the car new and later sold it to him for one dollar.

"I was 28 years in the Navy, and this car took me to all my duty stations," Jensen says, "So it's been across the country seven times. it has almost 200,000 miles on it."

Jensen serves as a volunteer coach for Reno High School's We the People civics program.

The Badger is a rare variant of the Javelin. AMC produced 80 "Badgers" for its 15th anniversary in 1969 - one for each of their dealerships in Wisconsin, the Badger State.

Jensen says his "Badger" was in rough shape in 2018, so one of his students named Jessica offered to help him restore it. It was then he discovered just how rare his car was.

"I was on the internet looking for parts," Jensen says, "And this picture popped up about Badgers, and I said 'Hey, that's my car!' And after doing some research and talking with a lot of AMC experts ... yeah, it's a Badger."

Jensen says he's only been able to find four other Badgers that still exist. The rarity and the memories he's collected with the car have made it into a family heirloom of sorts.

"In the future, if someone in the family wants the car," Jensen says, "I'll probably let them have it so it stays in the family."

Jensen has vowed to never sell the car, instead preferring to give it to a family member - even if he doesn't know who.

"I'm kind of wondering who in the family is going to get it," Jensen says, "Because I'll never get rid of it."

Two years after Jensen and Jessica started working on the car, they had it restored.

About halfway through the process, he says Jessica gave him a proposition.

"She stopped me and she said, 'Hey, if we get this thing done, you could take it out to Hot August Nights and put your veteran ball cap on and then sit down next to it with a little cooler, and you'd be stereotypical!'" Jensen says, "And I said 'You know what? We can.'"

Taking the car out to Hot August Nights is something Jensen never thought he'd do, but it worked out in the end.

"I'm retired for 20 years now, and my bucket list was getting empty," he says. "This has turned into a bucket list item."

Being a part of the car community in Reno has been a dream for Jensen thanks to the welcoming of other car owners.

"The cars are one thing. But the people that maintain them, how they do it, what they've been through," he says, "That's awesome. And I really like that."

Jensen loves the Hot August Nights community so much, he might give back next year.

"I'm a big supporter and I thinking about volunteering to help them out next year," he says.

Jensen has taken his Badger to Hot August Nights since 2021. And four years later, it's a winner.