By Jeremy Selweski
C & G Staff Writer

BERKLEY — On Aug. 15, Berkley’s annual CruiseFest classic car parade returned to 12 Mile Road. Even away from the main celebration, the entire city was buzzing as residents celebrated the Woodward Dream Cruise in their own laidback way.

The evening sky carried a soft glow as families, friends and neighbors came together in their nearby yards. The sound of music filled the air from every direction as the low sunlight cast shadows upon the people in the streets. On this night, all of Berkley seemed alive, wide awake and ready to embrace a weekend filled with cars, cruising and memories past.

Over on 12 Mile Road, the multitudes were gathered along the curb, filling up every available grassy patch with lawn chairs and tents to give themselves front-row seats for the city’s largest-ever parade. This year, more than 400 classic vehicles of every imaginable brand, model and color made their way down 12 Mile from the Roseland Park Cemetery on Woodward Avenue all the way to Ellwood Avenue, just before Greenfield Road.

Berkley City Councilman Phil O’Dwyer said he is always impressed by the low-key, family-friendly vibe that CruiseFest brings to the city every year on the night before the official cruise day.

 “I think the Berkley parade is the real gem of the Dream Cruise,” he said. “It’s a much more relaxed atmosphere than all the commotion over on Woodward.”

“(CruiseFest) has a really special flavor,” said state Rep. Andy Meisner, D-Ferndale. “It’s grown over the years, but it’s not a bunch of craziness. It’s really consistent with what Berkley is all about. It’s great to see a community of people who haven’t lost touch with their old-fashioned values coming out over a happy occasion.”

And they certainly came out in droves. Thousands of residents lined the two-mile stretch of 12 Mile, cheering and chatting happily as proud classic car owners waved to them from behind the wheel of their favorite ride.

The increased size of the parade certainly was not lost on residents. “There are a lot more cars this year, but it’s still a quiet local event,” noted Greg Yeremin, 50, of Berkley.

However, Yeremin also lamented that the cars in the parade no longer come back and park along 12 Mile for the crowd to observe and admire, as they have done in years past. “I miss that part,” he said.

Steven and Kim Tisler of Berkley agreed. “They used to park the cars up and down the road, but they don’t do that anymore for some reason,” Kim, 45, said. “Now it has turned into more of a social gathering.”

Still, Steven, 44, said he prefers the uniqueness of the cars at CruiseFest to those typically seen at the Dream Cruise events on Saturday. “You get a little burned out from seeing the same things over and over,” he said. “It’s nice to see something different.”

It also helps that the crowds at CruiseFest are easily manageable. “This is a lot more organized,” said Steven’s brother, Charlie Tisler, 54, of Auburn Hills. “Out there (on Woodward), it’s kind of chaotic. I’d rather just sit and watch the parade.”

Paul and Liz Collins of St. Clair Shores brought their kids — Parker, 4, and Braden, 2 — out to CruiseFest and found that it was just as entertaining for the little ones as it was for them.

“I think this is better (than the Saturday Dream Cruise),” Paul, 38, said as the sounds of the band British Beat ’66 rang out from a stage next to the old Berkley Theater. “It’s more family-oriented, and you can actually see all the cars go by. It’s a lot of fun for the kids, too.”

City Councilman Michael Matthews-Pennanen, like Meisner, loves the way that CruiseFest brings the whole community together every year.

“The Dream Cruise comes right to us, and we kick off the festivities for the whole weekend,” he said. “Everyone grabs the opportunity and makes the most of it. People use this as a chance to bring friends and relatives to Berkley — it’s really great.”

And the fact that CruiseFest is more or less the same year in and year out is actually a major part of the event’s appeal.

“To me, it’s tradition, something you can count on,” Matthews-Pennanen said. “It feels very much like our own little niche. It’s like small-town America plopped down into the Motor City.”

You can reach Staff Writer Jeremy Selweski at jselweski@candgnews.com or at (586) 218-5004.