Cruise-In is far from a cash cow as some may think

Dave Harrison, a 37-year member of the Cache Valley Cruse In sits in his restored 1957 Chevrolet he found in Richmond and restored.

Brandon Douglas, president of the Cache Valley Cruising Association, said his group sent out a mailer to Cache County residents confirming their intention to hold the Cruise-In.

Larin Lind looks into his 1950 Chevy pickup he has customized. The truck will be one of the nearly 900 cars at this year’s Cruise-In.

Douglas said some people may have gotten the wrong idea. They could have heard the groups wasn’t going to hold a parade.

“We will hold the parade just like we have in the past,” Douglas affirmed. “It might be the last time for the parade, but the Cruise-In will continue.”

Douglas has a 1978 Trans Am he is planning on driving in the Cruise-In parade.

He said the organization was going to vote on the parade issue in their August meeting. If the parade goes away, they might just cruise Main, like they did 20 or 30 years ago, he said.

Larin Lind stands next to his 1950 Chevy pickup truck which has been customized and will be in this weekend’s Cruise-In car show.

Originally, the parade was organized to make the thousands of cars cruising up and down Main Street easier to manage, Douglas said.

“Some years we’ve had to have club members take out a mortgage on their homes to put on the show,” Douglas said. “It would be nice to have a fund to help with extras. You’ve heard of people living paycheck to paycheck; we are going from car show to car show.”

Dave Harrison, a 37-year member of the Cache Valley Cruise-In and the one who answers the phone for the group, said he’s had calls from surrounding states wondering if they were going to have a Cruise-In this year. He said, if it’s going to cost us to have a parade, we may not do it.

“People think because we charge to get into the car show, that we are making a lot of money,” Harrison said. “We have quite a bit of money after the show, and we do for about three days, and then we start to pay the bills.”

Larin Lind has been working on this customized 1950 Chevrolet Pickup since he got married. He has been apart of the Cruise-In for 22 years.

Everything they’ve done in the past will be the same this year. They will take a vote in August to see if they are going to have a parade again or not. The group would like to keep the tradition going for many reasons, including the support they get from over 45 local families who volunteer every year.

There are a lot of costs people don’t see that makes the Cruise-In a success.

“Cache County charges the car group $18,000 for the fairgrounds,” said club member Larin Lind. “Advertising cost is $30,000 to $50,000, whatever form we use.”

In order to qualify for RAPZ funding , the Cruise-In organization has to spend a certain amount on advertising. RAPZ tax funds can be used to fund operating expenses of private nonprofit organizations.

The 1971 Chevy Malibu that will be given to some lucky Cruise-In participant.

“We also have to pay $50,000 to $100,000 for the music, and the car giveaway is typically $20,000,” Lind said. “We also have insurance and permits for $10,000.”

This year’s Cruise-In will be held July 4, 5 and 6 at Cache County Fairgrounds, 450 South 500 West. For the schedule, check their web site at https://cvcacruisein.com/events.

Loverboy and Survivor will be in concert for the Cruise-In on Friday, July 5, at the Cache County Fairgrounds. The concert begins at 7:30 pm. Gates open at 6:30 pm. Your concert ticket will also get you into the Fairgrounds at 6:00 pm. If you want to come earlier, you will need to purchase a car show entrance ticket as well.

The car show will be at the fairgrounds as in the past. It’s open to the public. The car show is the meat and potatoes of the Cruise-In. The Cruise-In group will also be involved in other events.

North Logan has agreed to host a burn out contest. People will get a chance to hear, see and smell the rubber as the tires spin on the pavement and feel the smoke in their face.

This 1971 Chevy Malibu is this year’s give away car for the 2019 Cruise-In.

They are holding a Top Rod of Utah, or battle of the builders contest. Fifteen of the high-end cars will be judged to see which one is the best inside the Cache County Events Center. They will also bring the public together and give them a chance to vote for people’s choice. Some of these cars are way too expensive to drive. The builders will be judged and given a first, second, third and people’s choice award.

They are expecting about 900 cars in this year’s show.

The organization would like to encourage people to do more than watch the parade, they would like to see people come see the cars and talk to the car owners.

Tickets can be purchased at the door, or at Lee’s Marketplace, for $10 for adults 18-years and older. Guests 17 and under are free. Two tickets can be purchased for $15 with a coupon. A ticket is good for all three days.

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1 Comment

  • Rae July 7, 2020 at 9:25 pm Reply

    How old do cars have to be to be in the car show/parade?

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