Dream Cruise has plenty to offer,
from classic cars to family-friendly activities

By Jeremy Selweski
C & G Staff Writer

FERNDALE — It all came and went in a blur as thrilling as an old hot rod with its accelerator pushed to the floor. And just like that, this year’s Ferndale Dream Cruise weekend was gone.

But it certainly made the most of its time here, beginning with the energy-packed opening ceremony at 5 p.m. on Aug. 15. As the Ferndale High School cheerleading team pumped up the crowd on East Nine Mile Road, a bevy of local officials and celebrities hit the stage behind Como’s Restaurant to kick off the 14th annual Woodward Dream Cruise with a bang.

 “Are you all ready to party in the Cruise?” Mayor Craig Covey said as he stepped up to the microphone, and the audience responded with a resounding “yes.”

Introduced by Covey, “Big Al” Muskavito of Oldies 104.3 WOMC-FM quickly made a joke at the expense of scandal-plagued Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick.

“It’s great to be here with a mayor who doesn’t require a tether,” he said, before adding on a more serious note, “This town needs some good news — we need a party.”

According to Rep. Sander Levin, D-Michigan, there was also something bigger at stake. “We need to send a message about the importance of the automobile industry,” he said. “As we roar up and down Woodward, we hope the entire country hears that roar.”

Moments later, with the ribbon cutting at the intersection of Nine Mile and Woodward, a rush of classic cars flooded onto Woodward to start the cruising. They were immediately followed by a Ferndale tradition, the Emergency Vehicle Show, in which dozens of unique police and fire vehicles paraded onto Woodward with lights flashing and sirens ringing.

On Aug. 16, Mustang Alley filled every nook and cranny of East Nine Mile. From Woodward to Burdette, the road was filled with hundreds of classic and modern Ford Mustangs, showcasing the entire history of one of America’s most beloved muscle cars.

Leonard and Kathy Terrell of Troy actually met while cruising on Woodward in the ‘70s, Kathy in a 1972 Mustang and Leonard in a ‘64 Chevy Chevelle. Today, they are proud owners of a silver 1967 Shelby Mustang.

Like many Dream Cruisers, Kathy, 47, loves coming out to the event each year “to relive the old times. We all cruised on Woodward when we were teenagers, and this brings back old memories.”

Showing off his gold ’67 Mustang GT, Chuck Wheeler, 61, of Gross Ile agreed. “It’s nostalgia to us,” he said. “A lot of these were cars we couldn’t afford when we were younger, but now we can.”

Plenty of younger Mustang lovers made their way out to Ferndale this year, too. Keith and Alena Watson of Tecumseh and their friend, Ryan Caurdy of Temperance, were there displaying their 1987 Saleen Mustang, ’91 LX Mustang and 2004 Cobra Mustang convertible.

“The variety (of cars) here is amazing, overwhelming,” said Caurdy, 26. “It’s a blast because you’re seeing every type of Mustang you can think of.”

The Watsons pointed out how much their 4-year-old son, Dustin, enjoyed being at Mustang Alley. “He loves it; he’s really into cars,” Keith, 38, said. “We want to start a tradition of coming down here and make it an every-year thing.”

Elsewhere, Ford Motor Co., in its first year as the official automotive sponsor of the Ferndale Dream Cruise, was showing off its cars in an eye-catching way, with two racing Mustangs tipped on their side and a black Shelby situated on a tilted, rotating platform in the Nine Mile and Woodward median.

There was even a display of old Model Ts, in celebration of that landmark vehicle’s 100th anniversary. Steve Shotwell, 59, of Rochester was on hand to showcase his grandfather’s 1916 Model T, which he nicknamed “Goosebumps.”

 “This really helps put the Dream Cruise in the right perspective,” he said. “It’s all about the heritage of our cars.”

Over by City Hall, proving that cruising and rock ‘n’ roll go hand in hand, there was a stage featuring live bands throughout the day. Continuing that trend, Fender Guitars had a tent featuring dozens of guitars and amplifiers for players to test out some licks, and — for kids and non-musicians — two TVs set up with the popular video game “Rock Band.”

On West Nine Mile, there was a second live music stage, as well as some of the Cruise’s quirkier displays and activities: the Ford “Blue Thunder” monster truck; a mechanical, bucking Mustang for people to ride; a Mobsteel “gangster” car for kids to draw on in chalk; a fake “car wash” for attendees to walk through; and the Ford Rouge Factory tour, housed inside a giant structure shaped like a Ford truck.

This area also contained the Kids Play Zone, which stretched from Woodward all the way to Allen. Everywhere along the street, kids were enjoying the remote control car racing tent, the moonwalk, the face and body painting station and even a spot where they could make their own toy cars out of box lids, wooden rods and foam.

For Barry and Heather Epps of Ferndale, the more family-oriented atmosphere of this year’s Dream Cruise prompted them to come out to the event for the first time with their kids — Madeline, 4, and Benjamin, 1.

“This is awesome,” said Heather, 34. “And it’s really well-organized. You forget how important classic cars are to people until you come to this. It makes you appreciate the history of it all.”

She also likes how the Dream Cruise is able to show people what the city has to offer. “It’s a great way to shine a light on Ferndale,” she said. “There’s so much that’s evolving in this area.”

For another Ferndale resident, 53-year-old Doug Hayton, the day served as a vivid reminder of why his city is where the “dream” originated 14 years ago.

 “I live it every time I’m at Nine and Woodward,” he said. “Every day is the Dream Cruise here.”