Woodward Dream Cruise crowds taking it all in from curb to curb
ROYAL OAK, Mich. (CBS DETROIT) — We're mere hours away from the official start of the Woodward Dream Cruise, but that didn't stop people from taking the rubber to the road a day early.
Rain or shine, people were ringing in the celebration on Friday ahead of the annual event, which someone described to me as Detroit's Mardi Gras.
"For about 20 years, I've been attending the Woodward Cruise with a group of guys. We're from all over the country. It's all about the cars. It's the comradery and friendships we've built and continue to build," said Dream Cruise participant Keith Battle from North Carolina.
For Battle and his crew, it's somewhat of a family reunion. For others, it's like opening a time capsule.
"You don't have to make noise to go fast. I'll say that first off. But if you're here long enough, you get to see just about everything which is really, can I say thrilling? It's satisfying to me anyway," said Nels T. Larson, a cruise culture aficionado long before the Woodward Dream Cruise became an official event.
Potential showers on Saturday give some attendees concerns about the number of participants who will show up in the rain.
"If it does rain it's going to hurt the crowd. There's not going to be as many people coming out. I won't bring mine out if it's pouring down rain. If it rains in the morning and clears up in the afternoon, then fine, I'll have it out here," said participant Mike Allen.
Others won't let the rain keep them from this drive they've waited all year for.
"These cars were built to drive on the roads. Outside of driving in the snow, I look at it as having an opportunity to showcase the car and show off what it was really build of," Battle said.
Everything gears up on Saturday at 9 a.m., and don't forget your umbrella just in case.