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The North Gratiot Cruise is a one-day celebration of automobile history that attracts muscle cars, street rods, customs, collector cars, special interest vehicles and the people that love them. Expect to find your dream car, live music, great food vendors, parties and family fun. The Gratiot Avenue Chamber of Commerce has been presenting the North Gratiot Cruise for over a decade and in that time has granted $50,000 to community groups. Celebrating Macomb County’s largest procession of hot rods, roadsters, motorcycles, antique vehicles, pickup trucks and other wheeled contraptions that gather on Gratiot between 14 Mile and Wellington Crescent for a day of family fun. In advance of the vintage vehicle showcase, the cruise committee hosts a series of pre-cruise car shows at businesses throughout the community that attract on average 100 classic cars.
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After that, lane passes are also available each day at the Car Show Registration. On Cruise Day, lane passes are $20 and available at the Registration at Eastpointe High School and also from Cruise Ambassadors on the street, up and down Gratiot. Because of the closures, MDOT isn’t allowing the cruise to temporarily shut down any lanes to allow for the VIP lap which traditionally opens the cruise, committee members said. The VIP lap, where police the cruise route to let the dignitaries take a ceremonial ride through it, will return next year. For their 20th anniversary, the Clinton Township Gratiot Cruise committee has moved all of the township’s activities to one spot at this Sunday’s cruise event.
August 4, 2024

Cruis’n is a publication dedicated to All Things for the Automotive Enthusiast. By highlighting/promoting the events, stories and people that make the car hobby go. In addition to securing funding for the event from various major sponsors, Eastpointe Cruisin’ Gratiot will donate proceeds to charitable organizations which focus on local needs. If you know of or support a local charity and would like for it to be considered for a future cruise, please download and complete the Charity Registration form. “There are cruise packages available for participants, but people can also just purchase a dedicated lane pass; they do not have to purchase a package,” said Csokas. Csokas said the ongoing Nine Mile Road construction will not impact the availability of a cruise lane and will not impact the cruise overall except for possible sidewalk closures at the Gratiot Avenue and Nine Mile Road intersection.
Both Events Begin: 9:00AM
The show is scheduled to start at 4 p.m., but Csokas said people typically begin arriving with their classic cars much earlier in the day. The Clinton Township Gratiot Cruise committee is a non-profit organization registered with the State of Michigan. The planning group’s purpose is to organize an annual car cruise within the Clinton Township Downtown Development Authority (DDA) boundaries to promote both the businesses along Gratiot Avenue as well as the community. Several businesses in Clinton Township have donated and are now considered a Cruise Sponsor. Sponsorships cover the cost for all you see all day long, along with the pre-planning including promotions, entertainment, police/security, children’s activities, merchandise, prizes, etc.
SPONSORS
The 5K route runs primarily through local residential streets, starting on Cotton Road and turning into the Eagle’s Nest subdivision. The 1K route will be a path around cruise headquarters, staying onsite for the duration. Bibs will be given to those who want them, but racing times will not be recorded. Contact the Cruise office and you may advance-purchase a dedicated lane pass for $15, pre-Cruise. Your pass can be mailed to you provided you send in a self-stamped envelope and register before the mailing deadline of June 1, 2024.
T-shirt, medal, water and snacks free with registration!
That’s all of the nonprofit groups, food trucks, Parks and Recreation events, bounce houses, peddle car races, kid’s bike raffle, Paint the Van and Touch-a-Truck. At the front of building will be the Cruise Headquarters and car show. “There will be food and drink specials at each car show, some sort of live entertainment (usually a DJ), and there will be classic car judging for prizes,” the committee said on its website. Advanced registration is encouraged, but participants can also sign up on race day. The 1K fun run/walk costs $10 for adults and is free for everyone else. All registrants will receive an event T-shirt and medal.
CRUISE HEADQUARTERS
Gratiot is in the middle of a Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) $22.6 million resurfacing project from 14 Mile Road to Wellington Crescent, which also happens to be the cruise boundaries. Two lanes of the road in each direction is closed for construction. The inaugural event was such a hit, others jumped on board including Loco Joe, who was a performer at the event. From there, the group formalized into a committee and joined forces with Bob Turner, who was the Clinton Township Goodfellows president at that time.
At the event, there are 50/50 raffles, and an array of raffle items to choose from including a R4T exclusive rock box filled with swag from the R4T performers. Local musicians generously volunteer with 20-minute sets throughout the afternoon and into the evening. The committee members and volunteers first worked out of a warehouse to package the toys. Over the years, the event has moved around based on Jimmy’s ownership of the bars, but eventually landed at Freddy’s, which so far has been a great fit. Years later, she worked with Jimmy Klapp, who was the owner of The Dawghouse bar on Groesbeck Highway. He wanted to host a toy drive to collect toys for the Goodfellows.
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Turner was in charge of making sure the proceeds would benefit the children of Clinton Township. Lane passes are $15 prior to June 17 and $20 if purchased on cruise day. The local school district with the most pledged support will win $1,000 awarded to the athletic department. New this year, the area church with the most runners also wins $1,000 to be used for programs within its youth ministry. Letcavage said some parts of the activities will include toy construction tools to carry the construction theme over. Organizers of this year’s cruise have been forced to make some changes to the route because of ongoing road construction.
The two of them reached out to Screamin’ Scott and together, the first Rock-4-Tots event was put together in two weeks time. When it came time for the Clinton Township Gratiot Cruise organizers to name a grand marshal for this year’s event, they didn’t have to think too long. “Like the Thursday show, it is scheduled to go from 4-7 p.m. But people tend to arrive earlier and stay later too,” said Csokas. On Friday, June 16 Cloverleaf restaurant will be the spot for the car show which is sponsored by Motor City Pawn Brokers.
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You may set up a small tent along the Cruise route as long as you don’t infringe on local businesses. There are no reservations, it is First Come – First Serve. Yes, the left lane on both sides of Gratiot is solely for those with Cruiser packages and lane passes.
Cash prizes include $500 for the top male and female winners, $250 for second place and $100 for third place. The top finishers in each age category will receive a $25 Hanson’s gift card. Cars will parade along Gratiot Avenue at noon, with cruising encouraged until 5 p.m. Registration costs $30 and can be completed online through Friday or in person at the event. Cash prizes and trophies will be awarded in stock and modified classes at 4 p.m. Best Overall in Show wins $1,000; first place wins $300; second place, $200; and third place, $100.
Participants can pre-register, or register the day of either show. For more information about the North Gratiot Cruise, visit cruisegratiot.com. “We expect over 100 registered cars participating in our car show,” Weatherby said. There is no charge to attend the cruise, which runs from noon-6 p.m.
This week’s Gratiot Cruise weekly car show partners with Music & Movie in the Park Night on Wednesday at the Clinton Township Civic Center, Romeo Plank Road (at Canal Road).
You can see sponsors listed on the cruise website and 2023 posters posted in businesses six weeks before the cruise. The cruise committee said the event will go on as scheduled although participants may find the route a little backed up. A grand marshal is a person selected at an automobile race by the track owner or race sponsor to be the public leader of events on race day or throughout the race weekend.
Eastpointe’s Cruisin’ Gratiot is the ONLY Michigan Cruise with a MDOT authorized Cruise Lane.The passes MUST be on display in your driver-side window at the top. This year’s Rock-4-Tots event is scheduled for Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 2-3 at Freddy’s Bar on Garfield Road in Clinton Township. The committee of community-minded individuals decided to honor another group of do-gooders in the Rock-4-Tots organizers for the Aug. 6 cruise along Gratiot Avenue, from 14 Mile Road to Wellington Crescent. The Cruise Headquarters is located in the parking lot of the McLaren Macomb "Glass House" Building, at the southeast corner of 16 Mile & Gratiot. When cruising please stay in the outside lanes. Watch for brake lights not working and be ready.
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