Lowdown Roundup 2025: Five Years of Trucks, Fun, and Community

PHIL GORDAN . September 12, 2025 . Events

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Five Years Strong in Des Moines, Iowa

What are your options when you have a group of truck enthusiasts with no place to go? For Heidi Henckel and her crew, she decided to start a car and truck show. Now in its fifth year, Lowdown Roundup has become more than she had ever imagined. The weekend-long show, which officially begins on a Friday at the Des Moines Water Works Park, carries over to the hotel for a parking-lot-packed underglow contest that kicks off the weekend perfectly. Saturday is filled with all-day fun and games for the entire family. A frozen t-shirt contest with no rules is always exciting to watch, followed by kid games with prizes and then adult games, including the car and truck limbo.

Sponsors included Booton’s World, Golf Cars of Iowa, iHatePhil, Dave the Tint Guy, DJ Maze Radio, Waste Connections, Kre8ive House, Aire Jax, NuCara Pharmacy, Negative Camber Wisconsin, Rollin’ Recklezz, Gough’s Rod and Custom, Lawn Enforcement Agency, Iowa Car Guys, Asphalt Army, A King’s Throne, Stoner Car Care, Hatermade Clothing, MadGear Clothing, AVS, Mack Media, Anderson Family Tools, Vinyl Addiction, and Glenn Family Woodworking. Vendors on the grounds included Midwest Dreamer, NipTuck, Team Billet, A Stitch in Time, Karl’s Auto Group, Justin’s Art Room, Joe Jones Art, Brushstrokez, 515 Mobile Detailing, Mad City Windows, Trucks and $hit, Brother’s Air Ride, Hell Bent Hot Rods, K Kustomz, Fused Jewelry, Hello Garage, Dirty Biker Design, and T-Mobile.

When it came time to choose what to eat and drink, Heidi and her team made sure there were plenty of options, including Fruits N Such, Pho Wheels, Lucky Wife Wine Slushies, Bub’s Grub, and Sweet Swirls. Year five proved to be the biggest year to date with just under 300 registered vehicles and over $3,000 collectively donated to St. Jude. The big winners included Rob Donlon for Best Paint, Deven Ramsey for Best Mini-Truck, Rich Foster for Best Full-Size, and Best of Show going to Wes Nelson with his 1970 Chevy C10. Heidi and her team wish to thank each and every person for their support over the years and for making Lowdown Roundup a Midwest staple for truck shows.

Now in its fifth year, Lowdown Roundup has become more than she had ever imagined.

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