Great Pottsville Cruise draws hundreds of car enthusiasts, collectors to Pottsville
Aug. 14—POTTSVILLE — Car enthusiasts strutted up and down Laurel Boulevard on Saturday to examine a colorful assembly of antique and modern vehicles at the Great Pottsville Cruise.
The event drew more than 130 automobiles, with their owners hailing from various regions in Pennsylvania. This was the second year the event was hosted by the Humane Fire Company, who took over the reins from the event's longstanding organizer, the Pottsville Lions Club.
"It's quite a draw," said Pottsville Mayor Dave Clews, co-chair of the Great Pottsville Cruise. "The cruise has a 25-year history, so a lot of these car owners are familiar with the past."
Jerry Peet, of Lake Ariel, Wayne County, brought to the show a holiday edition of a 1956 Oldsmobile. Attached to the window of his front passenger seat was an aluminum tray topped with plastic props representing a cheeseburger, french fries, a root beer float and an ice cream sundae — a nod to the carhop era of fast-food eateries in the 1950s.
"That's what they did back in the '50s," Peet said. "You'd tell them what you wanted, and they'd bring it out on roller skates, and they'd hook it on your window."
Peet has been participating in the cruise since 2013, usually to display his Oldsmobile, which he bought in 2006.
"It's like driving a Cadillac," he said. "You go down the road 65, 70 miles an hour, and you don't even know you're doing it. And it's so rugged and heavy that it rides really, really good."
The cruise boasted a diverse mix of makes and models spanning a vast era of automobile history. Among the oldest vehicles in the lineup was a 1930 Ford Model A, owned by Roger Feeg, of Womelsdorf.
Aaron Tom Moore, of Pottsville, said he liked all the antique cars at the show, but singled out his favorite as the 1950 Ford Custom Tudor Sedan, owned by Russell Yallas, of Tamaqua.
"I think they're all pretty neat," Moore said.
One car that drew many spectators was an orange Hummer H2 owned by Grant Ackerman, of Berwick. The car sported a Halloween theme, with decorative dragons, ghouls, pumpkins, goblins, spiders and other spooky items adorning the body of the vehicle.
"It's a good show," Ackerman said. "It usually draws a lot of spectators."
Back by popular demand, Lebanon County-based rock band Solid Gold performed a series of classic rock tunes during the event. There were also a handful of food vendors set up along Laurel Boulevard, including one by the Humane Fire Company.
Visitors could vote for the top 10 cars, with the one voted Best of Show receiving the Hot Car Award trophy.
"I'm a Chevy guy," said John Brennan, of Newtown, a self-professed "muscle car nut." "I like Chevelles, Camaros, '60s, '70s. I collect all kinds of metal cars, and I've been collecting them for 30 years."
Contact the writer: hlee@republicanherald.com; 570-628-6085
