Cruising the avenue

CLINTON TOWNSHIP — Another year, another cruise completed.

Car lovers took to the streets of Macomb County’s main thoroughfare on Sunday, Aug. 3 for the 22nd edition of Gratiot Cruise, which saw an estimated 75,000 attendees line the sidewalks and cruise the famed avenue between 14 Mile Road and Wellington Crescent.

Given the construction along Gratiot, Cruise Treasurer Paul Silvestri estimated that spectators were down despite an increase in participants.

“We had 75 cars registered for our car show at the headquarters,” Silvestri said. “That number was up compared to last year. We kind of use the headquarters as the measurement gauge as to where we are, so that was an improvement over previous years.”

Even with the spectator estimates being down, Silvestri attests there were plenty of people along the thoroughfare supporting the Gratiot Cruise — and supporting local businesses.

“Bars were having parties, businesses were having parties; people were congregating and spending money in those businesses,” Silvestri said. “The whole point when we started this in 2003 was to drive new business, new customers to those downtown development businesses along Gratiot.”

Silvestri says plans are already being swirled around for the 23rd edition of the cruise in 2026, such as adding a motorcycle category to the car show and spreading out activities across the avenue rather than having hubs at the cruise headquarters and the family fun area.

The Gratiot Cruise takes place along the Clinton Township stretch of Gratiot Avenue on the first Sunday in August.