Keep them motors runnin'! Auburn Cruise Nite returns for 37th year

Bob Kennedy has been involved with Auburn Cruise Nite for 20 years, including 13 years running the hot rod get together, so he has a hunch of what to expect Friday night, May 14, when the annual event turns over the ignition on its 37th year: "I know we'll be turning cars away," he says. Don't bet against it. Kennedy said he hadn't said anything to anybody, "and it's all over Facebook. Someone took a picture of the (booklet) cover and posted it on Facebook." Kennedy didn't believe Cruise Nite would happen until July, but Lincoln Way, between Elm Avenue and High Street, will be lined with classic cars in the first of five events Friday, followed by June 11, July 9, Aug. 13 and Sept. 10. "We have room for 350 cars, and we put a couple thousand people in front of businesses on Lincoln Way," he says. "We have a good time. I enjoy that people run into people they haven't seen in years." Those reconnections can sometimes keep people hanging out until 9 p.m. and later, though Cruise Nite typically runs from 5-8 p.m., depending on the weather and daylight, according to Kennedy. Vendors roll in at 4 p.m., "then it turns into an absolute zoo getting these cars backed in," Kennedy says. Cars arrive from all over Northern California, including the Bay Area, Stockton, Reno, San Jose and more. "They drive up for the night," Kennedy says. "It's terrific. Kids that have no idea what a hot rod is, they like it. I think we get a lot of people to come back just for Cruise Nite." There is no charge to park a hot rod for the show and no charge for people to walk up and down Lincoln Way enjoying them. There's music and, of course, plenty of food options with Lincoln Way lined with restaurants. For information, visit auburncruisenite.org.