Dateline Detroit: Still Cruising Woodward After All These Years

By Judi Markowitz / Detroit

Motor City Magic

Woodward Avenue stretches 27 miles from Detroit to Pontiac, Mich. It can stand its ground with such iconic thoroughfares as Route 66 and Sunset Boulevard. Woodward was the first paved road in Michigan. A one-mile section was completed in 1909 and then it took seven more years to finish the entire job. Throughout the years, restaurants, businesses, movie theatres, museums, hotels, libraries, and universities have graced this street. But for the past 28 years it has become even more renowned as the home of the Woodward Avenue Dream Cruise.

Annually, the Motor City is the site of this parade of vintage and classic cars, in addition to plenty of food vendors, musicians, merchandise, and excited spectators.

This year, August 17 is the official date of the event. The atmosphere will be electric as people travel from all over the country and from abroad to take part in the festivities. Helicopters will abound from various news outlets and advertisements stream in the sky. Local and national media will be on the ground as well, covering the merriment of the day.

In the ‘50s and ’60s, “Woodwarding” became a craze. According to Mich.gov, “Cruisers gathered at drive-in restaurants. Muscle car competition hit its heyday in the mid-1960s.” I can attest to that. I graduated high school in 1970 and as a teenager, cruising Woodward was the thing to do on weekends. My friends and I would drive up and down that infamous street looking for excitement and that meant a car full of boys. We would pull up next to each other at a red light and talk. Plans were made to meet at a restaurant by the time the light changed.

Others simply wanted to drag race on Woodward and revving engines could always be heard up and down the avenue. It was a thrilling era of innocence and change. At the time I could never have envisioned that 25 years later our strip of Woodward would become the Dream Cruise capital.

And now, the Dream Cruise is the world’s largest one-day car extravaganza. It officially begins at 9:00 a.m. and ends at 9:00 p.m. I live one block away from the noise of engines and the fanfare. My family can simply walk to the corner of Woodward and Lincoln to view the attractions. And after 28years, I am still in awe of the growing crowds and the joy this day brings to so many.

This enduring event was the brainchild of Nelson House, a plumber, and Mayor Pamela S. McCullough, who wanted to raise money for a children’s soccer field in Ferndale. According to ARPSC of Oakland County, an amateur radio operators organization, “A group of volunteers looked to recreate the nostalgic heydays of the 1950’s and 1960’s, when youth, music, and Motor City steel roamed Woodward Avenue —America’s first highway.”

The original assumption was that the event would be attended by as many as 30,000 people. They were so wrong — it attracted a quarter of a million people. The 2022 calculations have shown that the Dream Cruise drew 1.5 million people and 40,000 classic cars from around the globe.

Excited motorheads can be seen on Woodward months before this much-anticipated event takes place. On any given evening, when the weather breaks, people gather with their folding chairs, coolers, and tents on the hunt for “cool cars.” They are grateful to be outside after the cold, winter months. Woodward Avenue has become the place to watch a parade of people and it’s the place to be seen as well. Young and old alike gravitate to this street since it has become an avenue of action.

During these preceding months, small groups of car buffs can also be spotted along the east and west side of Woodward. These car aficionados take great pride in their vehicles, and they gather in packs according to the make and model of their car. Pristine vehicles line the parking lots of stores and strip centers when businesses close for the day.

Well ahead of the actual date of cruising on Woodward, city employees have the arduous task of setting up this expansive event. Many spectators aren’t aware of the work done behind the scenes. The Dream Cruise extends from Eight Mile Road and loops its way around various suburbs to end up in Pontiac — that’s 16 miles of preparation.

Road signs, which indicate lanes for historic, vintage, and regular cruisers are set out along the route. Roadblocks are strategically placed in all cities to prevent spectators from illegally parking in nearby neighborhoods. Trash receptacles can be found practically on every corner and even in the median of Woodward. And then applications must be submitted to respective city offices for vendors of all types. Most importantly, this popular thoroughfare gets a facelift too — repairs are constantly being made before the big event.

Rental signs for parking and viewing spaces can be seen along Woodward months in advance of the cruise as well. There are premium spots to be had for a hefty price. These are typically rented from private businesses. And speaking about commerce, most of the retail stores, banks, and restaurants lining Woodward close on the day of the Dream Cruise. Even though this sounds like a missed financial opportunity, this one-day event brings in $56 million annually to bolster the Metro Detroit economy.

It has been noted that many cities along the path of the Dream Cruise take part in their own festivities the evening before this beloved occasion. The Berkley CruiseFest Classic Car Parade, for example, showcases approximately 300 cars from the past, moving slowly down the main thoroughfare. These vehicles must be registered and CruiseFest raises money for nonprofit groups throughout the city. After the parade there are face-painting booths, music, food, and to top off the evening there is an outdoor movie for families.

The week before the Dream Cruise begins, thousands of cars will converge on Woodward for yet another year of cruising pleasure. People will mill around the show cars and sit by the edge of the street to view the pomp and ceremony of the day. Police officers from each city patrol their respective areas to ensure a peaceful and fun time for all.

When the official day of the Dream Cruise finally arrives, it is truly a sight to witness the wide variety of cars that line parking spaces and cruise slowly down Woodward. There are rows of different makes and models from Mustangs, Corvettes, Thunderbirds, Pontiac GTO’s, Dodge Chargers, Lincoln Continentals, and Oldsmobile 442 Cutlass Convertibles, to name just a few.

With hoods propped open and glistening engines on display, these cars are a spectacle to behold. Even if you’re not in the know about the inner workings of cars, there is much to admire in the care and pride owners take in the maintenance of their much beloved vehicles.

After 12 hours, when the clock strikes 9: 00 pm, officers will begin to divert traffic from Woodward until the usual hum of local cars takes over. And the next morning, when a cloud of calm embraces Woodward Avenue, there won’t be a shred of evidence that millions of people lined the streets the previous day.

So, if your travel plans for this summer aren’t cemented, and you can’t figure out the ideal vacation spot, consider making Michigan your destination. The Dream Cruise just might be what you’ve been missing.

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Judi Markowitz is a retired high school English teacher of 34 years. She primarily taught 12th grade and had the pleasure of her three sons gracing her classes. In addition, she taught debate, forensics, and Detroit film. Judi has four adult children and seven wonderful grandchildren. She is married to Jeffrey Markowitz, whom she met in high school.

Judi grew up in Oak Park, Mich. which had a stellar school district, with excellent teachers. The city provided activities for all–and there were even sidewalks. Judi moved to Huntington Woods as an adult, which is a half mile from her childhood home. She wanted the same experience for her children as she had growing up, and Huntington Woods provided that. The View from Four Foot Two is Judi’s first book.