On Thursday night, the sound of engines revving, classic oldies tunes and children’s’ laughter will once again fill Depot Town.
The weekly Depot Town Cruise Night officially kicks off Thursday, marking the unofficial start to Ypsilanti’s summer.
Thursday also wil launch the Depot Town Cruise Night’s 20th year. As with the previous summers, co-organizer and Sidetrack Bar and Grill's owner Linda French said she expects upwards of 350 cars on some nights and two to three times as many visitors.
“I think it’s great that the night has cemented and helped Ypsilanti to be an antique car mecca," she said.
Detroit Tigers' mascot Paws will be on hand to help Depot Town celebrate 20 years of Cruise Night.
Photo Courtesy of Sidetrack
The Detroit Tigers official mascot, Paws, will be on hand from 6 to 8 p.m. to help celebrate, sign autographs and take pictures with kids.
Cruise nights are held every Thursday throughout the summer and many of the cars tend to be old American-made hot rods. French said cars begin arriving around 5 p.m. and the party in the street winds down around 9 p.m., though it often extends into any one of the neighborhood’s many eateries and bars.
The Sidetrack will offer a special “Detroit Tiger” burger as always and have happy hour specials of $3.25 for their large draft beers. Each week includes free ice cream from Cafe Ollie for kids who enter a hula-hoop contest and door prizes for the “best in show”.
Cafe Ollie also runs $1 off all their bottle beers and 20 percent off sandwiches.
This year is the first time Depot Town's Ypsilanti Automotive Heritage Museum will remain open during the festivities at a reduced entry fee.
As with every year, Cross Street between River Street and Huron River Drive will be closed off for the festivities.
French, whose Sidetrack co-sponsors the event with City Body, said Cruise Night is one of the first and best-established such nights in southeast Michigan.
“We were one of the original cruise nights and now there seems to be one in every town,” French said. “People are always looking for something do that is free and fun that you can do with the family.”