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Unique vehicles cruise Woodward Avenue during the Dream Cruise last year.
File photo by Patricia O’Blenes
ROYAL OAK — The 2022 Woodward Dream Cruise, founded in 1995, will roll into town Saturday, Aug. 20. The event is held annually on the third Saturday in August.
Now in its 27th year, the Woodward Dream Cruise will feature multiple municipalities — Berkley, Birmingham, Bloomfield Township, Ferndale, Royal Oak, Pontiac and Pleasant Ridge — along the 16-mile route, all hosting their own events.
In the city of Royal Oak, the Performance Park Classic Car Show will take place at Memorial Park from noon to 7 p.m. Friday, Aug. 19, and from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 20. Official Woodward Dream Cruise merchandise, vendors and a food court will be available in the park. The event is free to attend.
John Fedele, Royal Oak superintendent of recreation and Woodward Dream Cruise board treasurer, said the city anticipates a “full house” — approximately 700 cars — to participate in the car show at the park.
He said the cost to register is $50 per car and the money goes into the city’s general fund, but “a lot of that money is used to cover expenses,” including operations, staffing and materials.
Memorial Park is located at 31050 Woodward Ave., near 13 Mile Road and Coolidge Highway.
Beginning at 7:30 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 20, the Cruise In Shoes 5K Fun Run/Walk will kick off Woodward Dream Cruise festivities. The route will begin on Yorba Linda Boulevard, travel along Woodward Avenue and several Royal Oak neighborhoods, and return to finish at Shrine Catholic High School & Academy, 3500 W. 13 Mile Road.
To preregister for the Cruise In Shoes 5K Fun Run/Walk, visit cruiseinshoes.com/registration. In-person registration will also be available on the day of the event.
Deputy Chief Pat Stanton, of the Royal Oak Police Department, said the Dream Cruise is a community event designed for the public to enjoy the day and see the sights in a safe and family-friendly atmosphere.
“One of our biggest asks is that people are aware that it is an alcohol-free event and they cannot have alcohol or any type of open alcohol or consume alcohol on the Woodward Corridor unless it’s within an actual establishment like a bar,” Stanton said.
He cautioned that certain parking lots and residential streets are private property and, as such, require permission from the property owner. Visitors are “more than welcome” to park on public property, he said.
Stanton said police officers will be on foot patrol along the route of the cruise.
“We will try to be educational as far as when we run into people who may be in violation of alcohol (possession) and hopefully getting voluntary compliance,” he said. “As far as enforcement goes, we will continue to target dangerous driving along the Woodward Corridor.”
Stanton said that police have doubled down enforcement of dangerous driving in the weeks leading up to the Dream Cruise so that “everybody can enjoy it.”
“This is an all-hands-on-deck kind of affair for the city of Royal Oak and the Police Department,” he said. “The Department of Public (Service) works in strong cooperation with our Oakland County partners and all of the law enforcement agencies along Woodward who participate (in the cruise).”
He said the joint effort includes multiple meetings to address strategies for how to work together and help each other out if “some kind of critical incident” occurs, with personnel undergoing training,
“We don’t anticipate there being any problems, just as in years past,” Stanton said.
According to its website, the Woodward Dream Cruise is the world’s largest one-day automotive event, which draws 1.5 million people and 40,000 classic cars each year from around the world.
For more information about the Woodward Dream Cruise, call (248) 546-1573, visit woodwarddreamcruise.com or email info@woodwarddreamcruise.com.
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