“I like that one the most,” said Abby Chiles, the young lady who also sang the National Anthem before the first Cruise Night event of 2021. She led me over to a teal-colored Ford and pointed. “I just like the color,” she said, smiling.
Depending on who you asked, you would most likely get a different answer. “Anything Ford,” said one gentleman. Cruise Nights have been going on at the downtown Clinton Square for at least 20 years by Chris Church’s estimation (he is the present chair of the Cruise Night committee). The May 8 event, which started about 5 p.m., drew a large crowd. About 70 cars showed up: not all of them were from Clinton.
Tom Evans, who brought his old Model T Ford, is from Boliver. He bought his car in Illinois from someone who had been restoring it. When that person died, Tom got an opportunity to purchase it – and did. “I rarely drive it more than three miles or so,” he said. Of course, the car made the trip to Clinton on a trailer for Cruise Night. They have been coming to Cruise Nights here for the last couple of years. His wife, Carolyn, sat in the old Ford and smiled.
Many come to look at the cars, but many of the cars they look at are entered for different reasons. Some people restore cars and turn them into hotrods; Martin Grisier, however, spends a lot of time on his 1961 Rambler keeping it as close to original as possible – he even has the original notebook and manual that came with the car – and a vintage emergency kit in a tin box, too. Martin and his wife Connie have been going to Cruise Nights for the past 16 years displaying their car. One of the recent additions to his Rambler is an old surfboard strapped to the top, which lends a touch of the 60s vibe to it. After all the large four-door car was made for traveling with a lot of people.
Many others on the square are also frequent flyers – or drivers, if you will. They have been putting their muscle cars and vintage autos on display for several years here, but there are some new cars/trucks every year. Not everyone is there strictly for the cars. Chester Jones, with the VFW, partnered with the Cruise Night committee and maintains a booth downtown during the events. This year he took the opportunity to tell folks that the VFW has several locations for flag disposal boxes around town. The VFW holds an annual flag retirement ceremony and the drop-box project for flags (so they may be retired appropriately), is a project developed by Eagle Scout Caden McCartney (locations are at the VFW, Fire Station, the Benson Center, Englewood Cemetery, and Adkins Printing); Jones thought he would help with the project and it is, of course, something he is happy to support.
There are other things at Cruise Nights: normally, there is some form of entertainment, just not at this first one. They are also raffling off a bench made from a Chevy truck tailgate (Bowers Designs). Folks can get ahold of Clinton Main Street for instructions on how to participate. Cruise Night events typically draw more cars and crowds as the summer months come on; the next one is June 8*.
*Cruise Nights on the Clinton Square are sceduled for the second Saturday of each month through October (except August, which will be on the 7th).
