Cruzin’ Clinton and Big Truck Experience roll into town Sept. 21

By Sherry Lucas

Wheels are in motion for the 2024 edition of Cruzin’ Clinton, with sleek cars and cool trucks getting an extra polish and some TLC for maximum head-turning potential.

The Saturday, September 21, event gets a 9 a.m. start, starting engines at the Big Lots parking lot for the snazzy parade through town as participants make their way to Olde Towne for the car show, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the quaint brick streets. Grand Marshals are Germaine Flood and Charlie Melton.

The 15th annual Cruzin’ Clinton promises another lineup of vintage, classic and just plan cool cars and trucks to catch the eye of car hounds, truck enthusiasts and anyone with an appreciation for road-worthy beauty. Typically, one hundred to one hundred fifteen automobiles join in the fun. Cruzin’ Clinton has even had a few motorcycles over the years.

“Participants and sightseers alike love the ambience of the event, and, with starting the car parade in the Boulevard Business District, we are able to connect the two Main Street districts,” Main Street Clinton Director Tara Lytal said.

Last year’s introduction of Hot Wheels Racing for kids proved to be a hit — a huge success that will be back again this year, Lytal said.

“With the addition of the Big Truck Experience and the Hot Wheels activities, we have seen the event grow,” she reported.

The Big Truck Experience, geared toward kids, is 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., with a closeup look at the vehicles that get the big jobs done – for instance, construction equipment, police and fire vehicles, ambulances, postal trucks, dump trucks, National Guard vehicles, school buses and more.

The Hot Wheels Showdown is 11 a.m. to noon, with a track where kids can race Hot Wheels car and win prizes, at the corner Leake and Monroe in Olde Towne.

Main Street Board Member Allison Reno fell in love with the event back in 2013 and has remained an enthusiast ever since.

“My husband and I have a love for vintage cars,” she said, tracing the attachment to the 1968 Wimbledon White Mustang Tison Reno courted her in — his first car and his father’s first car. Father and son restored it together.

In the car show’s evolution, its move to Olde Towne upped its appeal, Reno said.

“There’s the really personal aspect of the cars on the brick streets and the nostalgia that comes from that,” Reno said.

With the Big Truck Experience’s kids’ appeal, the downtown full of shops and a lineup of charismatic car owners and their cool rides, Olde Towne becomes a mix-and-mingle destination for the entire family, youngsters to oldsters and all ages in-between.

“It is really a bridge that can help join generations,” Reno said. “You can literally have someone who’s in their 80s, or someone in their 20s or teens, and, when they’re talking about cars, they’re speaking the same language.”

Also, she says, car people are fun and chatty, especially when that beloved vehicle is the topic of conversation.

“If you start asking questions, they will talk with you all day long.”

Participants vie for a slew of awards, and Olde Towne eateries and food trucks offer additional enticements to linger, learn and appreciate the time and effort owners put into their shiny charges.

On-site registration for Cruzin’ Clinton is $25 per vehicle. Vehicle check-in is 8 to 9 a.m. on September 21 at the Big Lots parking lot on Clinton Boulevard.

For more information, visit the Cruzin’ Clinton Facebook page (CruzinClinton) or call Main Street Clinton at 601-924-5472.