This is the 30th year of the Woodward Dream Cruise. It creates noise, smoke, and general chaos over a large section of the Woodward corridor north of Detroit. But it’s fun! I first attended in the second year, 1996. Actually, I was an accidental participant, driving home from visiting my mother and getting caught in the mother of all traffic jams, as Woodward Avenue was practically on my doorstep at the time. Now it is 1/2 block away!
In August 1995, Mr. Nelson House and a group of local volunteers looked to relive and recreate the nostalgic heydays of the ’50s and ’60s, when youth, rock’n roll and Motor City steel roamed the historic Woodward Avenue, America’s first highway. They were raising funds to build a soccer field. That year, nearly 250,000 people participated—ten times the number expected. The rest, as they say, is history.
Since then, the Woodward Dream Cruise has grown to become North America’s largest one-day automotive event, drawing nearly one million people and 40,000 classic cars annually from around the globe—from as far away as Australia. Cruisers from all across North America caravan to Metro Detroit to participate in what has become, for many, an annual rite of summer.
It’s not a classic car show in the usual sense – it’s a street fair. It’s big, it’s fun, and it’s FREE!
What kind of cars and trucks are you likely to see on Woodward Avenue this weekend? You’ll see the sort of classic cars and trucks that will never appear at the Concours type of car show, because those are trailered, not driven.
Hard-core cruising begins by the previous weekend, during evenings, though. By Saturday, many cruiser cars will be parked at the various retail business lots fronting the wide north-south avenue, between Ferndale and Birmingham, and again up in Pontiac to the north.
There are more parties in local neighborhoods scheduled for Saturday than at any other time during the year, including 4th of July and Super Bowl Sunday. And the fact is, although this is officially a one-day party, it has been going on unofficially for the previous week.
The Dream Cruise adds at least $250,000 to the regional economy according to the Metro Detroit Convention and Visitors Bureau. At least a quarter of those attending are from outside SE Michigan.
Woodward Avenue, a 27-mile thoroughfare stretching from Detroit’s riverfront to Pontiac, Michigan, holds a significant place in American history as the site of numerous firsts.
Woodward Avenue is hallowed ground for car enthusiasts. Known as “Detroit’s Main Street,” the avenue spans Metro Detroit: extending from Detroit to Pontiac. Woodward takes its name from judge Augustus Woodward, who planned Detroit’s reconstruction following the Detroit Fire of 1805.
Originally paved with logs and sand, Woodward Avenue received the first mile of concrete paving in the United States in 1909 and was paved entirely in 1916. The availability of a wide, paved thoroughfare coaxed young drivers out of their garages and onto the road. By the late 1950’s Woodward had become a regular site for street racing and cruising.
Woodward’s pedigree has received broad recognition in the years since it became a cruising destination. The Federal Highway Administration recognizes the road as the Automotive Heritage Trail. The National Scenic Byways Program has also named Woodward an All-American Road.
Today Woodward Avenue in Oakland County, from the northern Detroit boundary to Pontiac, MI, is a parkway with “turn around” lanes (no left turns). We call them “Michigan Lefts” (that’s a left, then a right).
The Dream Cruise Route is approximate 16 miles along Woodward from the Oakland County southern border (in Ferndale, MI) to Pontiac, MI, through several local cities. Most of the cities have special activities related to Cruise on Friday night and all day Saturday.
The car companies and automotive suppliers have eventually taken up sponsorship, with official presence along the route. All along the roadway beautiful classic cars are parked where passers-by can look and even touch. Thousands of other cars are cruising the 8-lane boulevard from one end to the other, which is open for general traffic throughout the event, although they ask that the curb lanes be reserved for the classics. Traffic restrictions on commercial vehicles and other large vehicles are also in effect.
While most events are free to the public, there are special fund-raising parties, as well as sales of official merchandise, that keeps the Cruise rolling from year to year.
It’s quite a spectacle!
And the excitement has been building up, particularly in the evenings. This video was taken this past Wednesday evening.
Stella's Place 