East Granby Cruise Night to Feature Firebirds and More Classics on July 16

in East Granby hosts a weekly car display show, Mark's Classic Cruise, which has grown during the past 17 years into what the business calls "the largest weekly cruise night in New England."

Hundreds of cars roll onto the 25-acre field next to Mark's Auto Parts every Monday evening from May through September, weather permitting. On July 16, a contingent from vintage and custom car enthusiast magazine Street Rodder will come to East Granby and add their classic, customized and otherwise interesting automobiles from across the Northeast and beyond to the already large display.

Besides aficionados on hand from the Street Rodder tour, the Pioneer Valley Firebird Association will display their classic Pontiacs as part of the evening’s official Firebird night theme.

The cruise night has a simple directive that makes sense as an extension of an auto repair business, to display the hard work of those who put in that extra effort to keep their cars looking spotless and in tip-top shape.

“Our family friendly cruise is dedicated to perpetuating the memory of antique, classic and special interest vehicles,” says the mission statement on the Mark’s Classic Cruise website.

The family friendly atmosphere is enforced through the cruise night’s “rules of the road.” Alcohol is forbidden as is performing burnouts. The event prohibits baby carriages and strollers from moving between vehicles on display and requires pets to be on leashes. And, of course, attendees should not touch the cars.

The sheer number of cars at each cruise night is hard to believe until venturing to the large open field off of Russell Road (or at least seeing the photos and videos on the Mark's Classic Cruise Facebook page). The last two cruise nights, held on June 18 and July 2, featured 606 cars and 427 cars, respectively.

Besides the many classic and unique cars, there is plenty of food on hand. Mark’s has a food service staff provide burgers, hot dogs, chili, popcorn, soft drinks and much more.

Such a large event, with hundreds of tons of machines, drivers, passengers and attendees rolling in and out of the lot, requires a dedicated group of organizers. That group is large as well, numbering approximately 35 volunteers each week, according to Mark’s website. The volunteers perform duties from mowing the lot early Monday morning to breaking down, clearing out and cleaning up late Monday night, among a host of other tasks.

For frequently updated information and updates on Mark’s Classic Cruise, visit its Facebook page. The cruise nights take place Mondays through September, weather permitting, at 22 Russell Road in East Granby. The event typically runs from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Can't wait til July 16 for Hot Rodder's classic cars and the display of vintage Firebirds? Today, July 9, is Corvette night at Mark's.