In this August 1987 file photo, Jo Ann Fry, right, brought her daughter Ann-Marie, 16, and her niece Della Pyle, polishing the car, to Cruise Avenue. Cruise Avenue used to be a designated spot for people to go cruising in cars. It was located in the alley between 3rd Avenue and Veterans Memorial Boulevard, which is where Pullman Square is now located.
People spend their evening attending a Cruise Avenue event along 4th Avenue on Sunday in Huntington.
Ryan Fischer | The Herald-Dispatch
HUNTINGTON — For a second year, car cruising is back in Huntington, with a special Labor Day weekend event planned for Sunday.
Mark Maynard, state senator and event organizer, remembers cruising in Huntington in the late 1980s and 1990s and really wanted to bring it back to the city.
“There was a phenomenon that happened in the ‘50s across the nation where people cruised their cars downtown,†Maynard said. “But then in the ‘80s cruising made a resurgence across America, believe it or not, and Huntington was no different.â€
In this August 1987 file photo, Jo Ann Fry, right, brought her daughter Ann-Marie, 16, and her niece Della Pyle, polishing the car, to Cruise Avenue. Cruise Avenue used to be a designated spot for people to go cruising in cars. It was located in the alley between 3rd Avenue and Veterans Memorial Boulevard, which is where Pullman Square is now located.
File photo | The Herald-Dispatch
“Some 4th Avenue businesses complained that the partying teens were driving away many of their customers. Mayor Bobby Nelson’s solution to the problem was to provide the teens with a two-lane paved strip of roadway between 8th and 10th streets on downtown’s long-vacant Superblock,†wrote James E. Casto in a “Lost Huntington†article for the Herald-Dispatch.
“I met a lot of friends that I have to this day there,†Maynard said of his experience cruising.
The modern Cruise Avenue is the first Sunday of each month, September to December. Sept. 1 is 1980s reunion-themed; Oct. 6 is Trunk or Treat; Nov. 3 doesn’t have a theme; and Dec. 1 is Christmas-themed.
It was something Maynard wanted to bring back for the whole community to experience. He said at previous cruises, there have been as many as 300 to 400 classic cars and no fewer than 200.
“I’m doing this voluntarily, I’m just doing it because I’m passionate about automobiles and I have been all my life. And I want to help the community and also give passionate automobile owners a chance to show off their vehicle,†he said.
People spend their evening attending a Cruise Avenue event along 4th Avenue on Sunday, September 3, 2023, in Huntington.
Ryan Fischer | The Herald-Dispatch
Food trucks will be set up at the Sept. 1 event and WMUL will broadcast live from 3 to 8 p.m. It’s a very low-coordination, casual event. No blocked off streets, no bagged parking meters, no RSVP.
“That’s part of the lure because back in the ‘80s, there was no organization,†he said. “Even when I cruised on Cruise Avenue back in the early ‘90s, there was no organization to it and people just kind of word of mouth knew to come there to hang out, socialize, meet old friends, meet new friends.â€
All cars are welcome. The event is about bringing people together.
“It’s not required, but usually if you’re cruising, your car needs to be cleaned, but it’s not required. We’re not going to kick you out just because you have dirty tires and wheels. But usually I can tell the ones that are cruising, not by the car, but by how clean their tires and wheels are. If their tires and wheels are freshly coated with tire shine, then they’re there to cruise,†he said.
People spend their evening attending a Cruise Avenue event along 4th Avenue on Sunday, September 3, 2023, in Huntington.
Ryan Fischer | The Herald-Dispatch
While Huntington doesn’t have many of them, even the new Tesla Cyber Trucks are welcome.
“They would probably get some attention because those things are so radical looking. I would like to see one,†he said. “We won’t prevent an electric car from cruising with us.â€
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