Sunday, August 19, 2012
We've got the scoop on news, interesting tidbits and people profiles from Saturday.
The ground rumbled and the air thundered Saturday as the Woodward Dream Cruise roared through Ferndale. The classic car parade and prime people-watching event was expected to attract 1.5 million people and 40,000 cars to a 16-mile stretch of the historic avenue from Ferndale to Pontiac. Did you attend the Dream Cruise? Add your photos to this gallery by clicking the "Upload Photos and Videos" button above. Read on for a recap of the day's events from Ferndale! [Click here to see the live blog from the entire strip.] 9 p.m.: It's closing time for the Woodward Dream Cruise. 8:15 p.m.: There's less than an hour left of official cruising time for the 2012 Woodward Dream Cruise and people are out in Ferndale enjoying the sights. If you haven't …
Saturday, August 18, 2012
It's been a blast bringing all the great cars, stories and characters to you all day long. Check back tomorrow for the latest photos and news from Dream Cruise 2012.
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Saturday, August 18, 2012
9 pm: The 2012 Woodward Dream Cruise is now "officially" over, though cruisers and spectators will linger for hours. It's been a blast serving up vignettes from along the 16-mile cruise route all day. Many thanks to you for checking in, and to the Patch crew for providing the coverage you've been following throughout the day. Check back tomorrow for the photos you missed and the latest news from the event. So long everybody. - Don Wyatt, Patch.com 8:50 pm: There's just minutes left of official cruising time for the 2012 Woodward Dream Cruise and people are still out in full force in Ferndale enjoying the sights. If you missed the Classics & Cruis’n Legends Vehicle Show, you missed WW II veteran Jimmy Wolfe. This 92-year-old resident of …
We'll be giving you the scoop on what's happening throughout the day, so stay tuned for news, interesting tidbits, profiles and photos!
The Woodward Dream Cruise is in high gear in Ferndale along Woodward and with special events on East and West Nine Mile Road. Come along with us as we live blog. 9 p.m.: It's closing time for the Woodward Dream Cruise. 8:15 p.m.: There's less than an hour left of official cruising time for the 2012 Woodward Dream Cruise and people are out in Ferndale enjoying the sights. If you haven't stopped by the Classics & Cruis’n Legends Vehicle Show yet, you might want to say hello to World War II veteran Jimmy Wolfe. This 92-year-old resident of Altoona, Pennsylvania traveled to Ferndale with his 1931 Ford Deluxe Roadster. "I like this event. It's very, very nice in Ferndale," he said. Driving his classic cars always draws attention, Wolfe said - "…
Friday, August 17, 2012
Check out photos from the Ferndale Lights and Sirens Cruise, official Dream Cruise ribbon-cutting and more - and add your pictures to our gallery.
It was another day of sight-seeing and family fun on Friday for the 18th Annual Ferndale Woodward Dream Cruise. Both sides of Nine Mile were shut down, with E. Nine Mile Road the home of the 12th annual Ferndale Emergency Vehicle Show and the starting point of the Lights and Sirens Cruise. The Dream Cruise officially kicked off at 5 p.m. with a ribbon-cutting including speeches from Ferndale Mayor Dave Coulter and other community leaders. Check out a full Guide to the 2012 Woodward Dream Cruise here. Find the full schedule of events in Ferndale here.
The event will generate approximately $56 million for businesses in Oakland, Macomb and Wayne counties – as well as international exposure for the area – but some merchants along the route say their sales take a dive during the event.
The Woodward Dream Cruise brings big bucks and international exposure to communities along the historic avenue each August, but business owners say the event is a blessing and a curse. The cruise benefits the region as a whole – with hotels and restaurants throughout Oakland, Macomb and Wayne counties coming out as winners – but results in soft sales and shuttered doors for many merchants along the 16-mile parade route that stretches from Ferndale to Pontiac. Michael O'Callaghan, executive vice president and COO of the Detroit Metro Convention & Visitors Bureau, said Friday that the Dream Cruise – which is expected to attract 1.5 million people – brings in approximately $56 million for businesses in the three-county area. "The real true …
Alternate routes for emergency vehicles Saturday include mile roads, neighborhood streets, Coolidge Highway and Greenfield Road, officials say.
There is no easy solution for public safety vehicles trying to access Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak during the Woodward Dream Cruise, officials say. Law enforcers and ambulance drivers do their best to avoid Woodward Avenue during the event – which is expected to attract 40,000 classic cars Saturday – and would have to rely on their lights and sirens, along with the common sense of other motorists, to get through should an emergency occur on the historic roadway. "I do think, generally speaking, there is definitely a blind spot that the hospital is right there," said Laurie Thiel, CEO of Alliance Mobile Health, which provides ambulance service to Berkley, Oak Park, Huntington Woods, Beverly Hills and Troy. "There is not a clear-cut plan …
Check out photos from the first night of the 18th annual event and add your own pictures to our gallery.
The 18th Annual Ferndale Woodward Dream Cruise kicked off on Thursday night with live music, family-friendly activities and more. Here are a few photos from Thursday night at the Dream Cruise. Add your photos to our gallery by clicking the "Upload Photos and Videos" link above, or email photos to jessica.schrader@patch.com. Want to see photos from last year's cruise? Check out our 2011 Dream Cruise photo gallery here.
Find out what's on the schedule on Friday as part of the 18th annual Ferndale Woodward Dream Cruise.
The Ferndale Dream Cruise continues Friday with a ribbon-cutting ceremony, emergency vehicle show and more. Here's a rundown of what's planned on Friday, Aug. 17. Check out our Guide to the 2012 Woodward Dream Cruise here or see here for a full listing of Ferndale's cruise events. For more information, visit www.ferndaledreamcruise.com. Ferndale Emergency Vehicle Show Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony Live entertainment and more
Thursday, August 16, 2012
From a "Cars in Art" attraction in Ferndale to a 5K in Royal Oak, find out what's debuting at this year's cruise.
So you think you know the Dream Cruise? Here's something you might not have seen before: Tattoo artists making art on cargo vans. That's one of many attractions debuting at this year's Woodward Dream Cruise. [Guide to the 2012 Dream Cruise here.] Here's a look at what else is new this year, from Ferndale to Bloomfield Hills and in between. Two unique attractions are featured for the first time this year as part of Ferndale's three-day cruise: Cars in Art and Restoration Academy, both taking place on Nine Mile Road. Cars in Art will feature local tattoo artists painting automotive murals on the body of cargo vans. Restoration Academy is a team of Metro Detroit students and retired automotive engineers who will build a classic car on …
Find out which businesses along Nine Mile Road and Woodward Avenue are embracing the cruise and which are closing down shop until it's over - and why.
Should I stay or should I go? It's the question many Ferndale business owners face every year around Dream Cruise time. For some, the influx of an anticipated 1.5 million people to the historic avenue for the annual Woodward Dream Cruise means a chance to have a busy, profitable weekend. Other business owners close down due to concerns over traffic, lack of parking or customers only coming in to use the restroom. At Rouge, a makeup and nail studio on Woodward in Ferndale, owner Cheryl Salinas-Tucker says her customers who called about appointments for this Saturday changed their minds once they realized it was Dream Cruise weekend - which reinforced her decision to close that day. "Really it's because no one can get to my business," she …
Linda Baker
4:44 pm on Sunday, August 19, 2012
we always spend time on cruise day looking at the old vehicles on Woodward and in downtown Ferndale - the friday night fire engine/police car parade was great - didn't see even one rowdy person the entire time! The close down on Saturday night was smooth because now everyone knows the drill and the street was cleared by 9:30 or so - another good experience at the cruise! more ›