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When it comes to cars, the people of metro Detroit just can’t get enough. Just to prove it, a series of spectacular auto-related exhibits and tours as well as great music, food and drink will be on hand for the first annual Cruisin' MotorCities.
The festival, sponsored by MotorCities National Heritage Area, kicked off August 8th with the Detroit Festival of Speed and Style and will continue with a host of events culminating with the Woodward Dream Cruise on August 16th.
The exhibits, parties and parades will take place in over a dozen Detroit-area venues and will include something for just about every autophile. From low-rider to Corvettes, muscle cars and motorcycles, spectators will get an up close and personal look at why the city is synonymous with coupés, sedans and convertibles.
Here’s a sampling of what you can expect during Cruisin' MotorCities.
The Detroit Festival of Speed and Style, being held at the beautiful Campus Martius Park in downtown Detroit, kicked off the festivities with a "Hot Latin Night" featuring low-rider custom cars and hot rods set to riveting Latin music.
The next day, August 9th and running through August 16th, the Michigan State Fairgrounds will host an “AutoFair” where entrants will be entertained by live music, car shows and automotive art exhibits.
Classic Chrysler and muscle cars will be the order of day on August 11th when auto fans converge on the Whitney Restaurant for the Whitney Restaurant Garden Party and Car Show. The Whitney, one of Detroit’s most renowned eateries, will feature signature hors d' oeuvres in a lush garden setting in the heart of downtown.
On Tuesday, August 12th, the GM Heritage Center will be hosting tours of its stunning stable of cars. For many, this will be a once in a lifetime experience since the Center is not often open to the public.
The next night, August 13th, the Michigan Princess will set sail on the Detroit River for the AFL-CIO Boat Tour. The sunset cruise will offer breathtaking panoramas of the Renaissance Center, the new Detroit Riverwalk and other historical sites. A short presentation on the role of labor in the development of the auto industry will tie-in to Cruisin'.
Enthusiasts of Henry Ford’s breakthrough vehicle, the Model T, will get a chance to find out what it was like to ride one of these rugged roadsters. Thanks to The Henry Ford, you and your friends will get a rare opportunity on August 14th to take a spin in a “Tin Lizzy” at Campus Martius Park in downtown Detroit.
On Thursday August 14th, the anchor event of Cruisin' MotorCities arrives at Comerica Park when the Detroit Tigers face off against the Toronto Blue Jays in an afternoon ballgame dedicated to "Celebrating the Woodward Dream Cruise." After the game, hundreds of classic cars will be on display on Madison Street adjacent to the ballpark. There will be lots of entertainment as part of the Madison Street Festival, which will be held in Madison between Whitherell and Randolph.
The Detroit Opera House will host a Summer FUNdraising Event. Guests will be in for a unique experience including chamber music by the Plymouth Symphony Orchestra, classic cruise tunes by the Pointe Singers, signature hors’douvres presented by The Whitney and…air-conditioning.
For those with a hunger for nostalgia, the Michigan State Fairgrounds will be the venue for A Michigan Drive-Thru Memory by Big Boy held on August 15th and 16th. The menu will include the iconic Big Boy double-decker, the ever popular Slim Jim, fries and drinks. And, of course, waiters and waitresses on roller skates will be on hand to take your order.
The events scheduled for Cruisin' MotorCities promises to bear witness to Detroit’s claim to be the hub of the automotive world
"The Motor City will be revved up with excitement this summer," said Christopher Ilitch, president and CEO of Ilitch Holdings, and chairman of the Detroit Metro Convention and Visitors Bureau. "Cruisin' MotorCities will have events that appeal to everyone and should be a huge tourism draw for our region this year, and years to come. And that's a good thing for all the municipalities throughout the metropolitan Detroit area, the state, our residents as well as visitors to the area."
Cruisin’ MotorCities Events Calendar
August 8th
• Hot Latin Night, the kick-off event of the Detroit Festival of Speed and Style (through August 10th) featuring custom cars and hot rods, as well as Latin and Hispanic music, at Campus Martius Park, downtown Detroit
August 9th
• Flint-to-Fairgrounds Motorcycle Show and Ride, culminating in a BBQ and concert at the Michigan State Fairgrounds (through August 10th)
• AutoFair at the Michigan State Fairgrounds, featuring car shows, manufacturer’s midway, art exhibits and entertainment (through August 16th)
• Cool Car Cruise along Jefferson Avenue from Campus Martius through Bell Isle to Grosse Pointe
• Model T Celebrates 100 Years, Grosse Pointe Historical Society
• Corvettes America Show, GM Tech Center
August 10th
• Classic Car Show and Festival, Campus Martius Park, downtown Detroit
• Green Car Show, Ferndale
August 11th
• Whitney Restaurant’s Garden Party and Classic Car Show, downtown Detroit
August 12th
• GM Heritage Center tour
August 13th
• AFL-CIO Boat Tour on the Michigan Princess River Boat on the Detroit River
August 14th
• Model-T rides in Cadillac Square next to Campus Martius Park, downtown Detroit
• Detroit Tiger’s game with a Woodward-Dream-Cruise theme
• Classic Car Show on Madison Street, downtown Detroit
• Invitation-only fundraiser for the Detroit Riverfront Conservancy at the Detroit Opera House, downtown Detroit
August 15th
• A Michigan Drive-Thru Memory by Big Boy at the Michigan State Fairgrounds (through August 16th)
August 16th
• Woodward Dream Cruise
• GM 100 Caravan from downtown to Ferndale and beyond
For more information about Cruisin' MotorCities and a detailed schedule of events, go to www.motorcities.org.
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