Magic Bag Scraps Snarky Dream Cruise Sign Contest

The Magic Bag in Ferndale usually provides a bit of levity for folks frustrated by the Woodward Dream Cruise, but not this year.

The entertainment venue has decided to scrap its snarky sign contest ahead of the classic car parade on Saturday, Aug. 17, that is expected to attract more than 1 million visitors to a 16-mile stretch of Woodward Avenue from Ferndale to Pontiac.

"To the disappointment of many, we are going to skip the marquee contest this year," Magic Bag spokesman Willy Wilson said Monday via e-mail. "We’re just going to close up on Friday and Saturday and head out of town." 

Magic Bag owner Jeremy Haberman said in 2012 that, over the years, the venue has tried a variety of ways to capitalize on the event – including booking Bo Diddley; renting out the space; and offering free movies, rockabilly shows and Beatles tribute concerts – without success.

Wilson said there was no particular reason for the decision to forego the sign contest, in which participants have been invited to submit their best snarky saying about the classic car parade for a chance to see their words on the Magic Bag's marquee.

Winning slogans from the past nine years have included the following.   

• "Woodward Dream Cruise: Avoiding the Actual Motor City Since 1995"
• “Redneck Traffic Jam”
• “Now filming: Teeth Gone Wild”
• “Deliverance On Wheels”
• “Well, You Can’t Hang Out At Wal-Mart All The Time”
• “For Sale – The General Lee”
• “Make Love, Not Traffic”
• “Gnats, Boils, Locusts … Dream Cruise: Exodus 8:15”
• “Auditions For Before And After Soap Commercial”