Car cruise brings slice of Americana to Westlake

Gretty Myers and her grandkids with Bob's Mustang. They are the original owners, purchasing the car in 1970.

Bob Myers has a love of cars and people. He’s bringing these two things together as his dream to host a car cruise comes to fruition with “Cruisin’ Westlake” on Wednesday, June 21, from 5:30-8 p.m. at Westlake United Methodist Church.

A car cruise is a social event. It’s laid back and fun. There is no judging. All makes and models of cars are welcome along with spectators that come for the summer fun. Cruisin’ Westlake is a free event with live '50s & '60s music, a food truck, games, prizes and popcorn all in a great location.

In fact, the location is what inspired Bob. One Sunday morning he pulled into his church’s newly completed parking lot expansion and was admiring the landscaping when it hit him – this would make a great car cruise venue!

Cruising has a long history starting the 1950s and '60s in California and Detroit. Whittier Boulevard in SoCal started it all in the early '50s. The famous Woodward Dream cruise in Detroit continues today on the third Saturday in August, last year attracting over 1 million people.

Bob, who has been a Westlake resident since 1953, remembers the local cruise-in spots of his youth were the Manner’s Big Boy on Center Ridge Road in Rocky River and Bearden’s Big Steer Drive In which was located at Columbia and Detroit. Both places are gone now but the memories live on.

The Disney Pixar "Cars" movie franchise taps in to those memories and America’s love of cars. Bob’s grandkids are super excited when he visits them in his 1970 Ford Mustang Mach 1. His wife, Gretty, drove the Mach 1 for several years with their daughter in a baby seat in the back! Bob has always owned at least one Mustang starting with his very first car, a 1965 Mustang fastback, that he purchased in 1966.

There will be many different types of cars at Cruisin' Westlake. Expect to see hot rods, muscle cars, antique cars, resto-mods (which are modified stock or classic cars older than 1990) and even some MG’s! So take the kids to see the new movie "Cars 3" and then bring them to Cruisin’ Westlake to see the cars that inspired it all! 

Cruisin’ Westlake will take place on the third Wednesday of June, July, August & September from 5:30-8 p.m. at Westlake United Methodist Church, 27650 Center Ridge Road. The event is free and open to all. See the church website for more information at westlakeumc.org.

Ellie Peiffer

Small Group & Welcoming Ministries Associate at Westlake United Methodist Church

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Volume 9, Issue 11, Posted 10:08 AM, 06.06.2017