A parade of show cars, muscle cars, antiques, trucks, motorcycles and everything in between rumbled down West Main Street for the Kutztown Kruizz on July 28.
“It’s going wonderful,” said Kruizz coordinator Kelley Neyhart, KCP member, during the event. “We were talking earlier at registration that this is going to be called Kruizz weather because this is the second year in a row that we had such beautiful weather and for the last couple of weeks it’s been miserable.”
The Kutztown Community Partnership sponsored event featured a display of classic and show worthy cars on West Main Street from 1 to 5 p.m. Participating cars were selected for Top 15 Awards by Main Street businesses and restaurants. Those in attendance also had a chance to choose their favorite by voting for People’s Choice and Kid’s Choice awards. Kutztown Mayor Jim Schlegel presented the Mayor’s Choice Award that designates the best car in the Kruizz.
A rainbow of cars, trucks and motorcycles lined West Main Street from Constitution to College Blvd.
“It’s grown. From the first two years, it’s turned into a major event and we have people coming from all over with their cars which is really exciting,” said Neyhart. “And the crowd is a nice thing. Every year we get this turn out of people from the community and elsewhere that like to look at these cars.”
His favorite part of the event, of course, are seeing the cars.
“I’m 69 so a lot of these cars were cars that I grew up with and always wished I had,” Neyhart said. “I also enjoy talking to drivers that are similar in age to me because we have tales we can tell about this car or that car. That’s the fun of it for me.”
Happy with the car turn out, Neyhart estimated that about 300 participating vehicles registered.
“One of the things that I’ve learned is that car people like to come onto Main Street and I think Kutztown Kruizz is unique because Kutztown offers all these different things, restaurants, unique businesses. That makes it special. Instead of taking a group of cars and putting them in a field with some food,” said Neyhart.
Main Street businesses and restaurants offered Kruizz specials. There was music on the deck of Ray’s Pizza de Sogno, farm fresh foods from the Nesting Box on the patio of the Main Street Inn, children’s pictures in race cars provided free of charge by Business Link and Action Track USA and photos of favorite Kruizz cars captured by Pickup Impressions.
The Main Street Stage was the site of all-day live music featuring Shake, Rattle and Soul.
“One of the things that KCP is good about is bringing the community together,” said Neyhart. “We all get to hang out for the day, eat food and have some fun. Our community has thousands and thousands of people walking the streets. I absolutely love that.”
The Kruizz continued into the evening with a concert in Kutztown Park featuring The Fabulous Grease Band.
A portion of the proceeds from the Kruizz will benefit Kutztown Strong, the local substance abuse coalition. The remaining proceeds will be reinvested in downtown Kutztown through Kutztown Community Partnership’s programs and initiatives.
