Live on Woodward Friday: Dream Cruise Kicks off With Ribbon-Cutting, Cruisefest

The Woodward Dream Cruise is a little more than 12 hours away. But who's kidding whom here? It's here. It's in high gear through Patch communities along Woodward, from Ferndale to Bloomfield Township. Come along with us as we live blog and link to coverage throughout our sites.

The cars, the cruisers, the spectators, the parties ... it was all there Friday night on Woodward.

In Royal Oak, members of Shrine church enjoyed their annual Dream Cruise Party outside the grade school at 12 Mile Road. In Berkley, the sentimental , which closed last year after more than 90 years in business, opened its doors again for a private party. Next door at Westborn Market, hundreds ate, drank and boogied during the for Forgotten Harvest.

In Birmingham, cruisers and watchers were out in full force, showing off in the street and on the sidewalks while catching a bit to eat or some Beatles tunes. Soak it up in .

11:30 p.m., Birmingham: Downtown Birmingham was hopping Friday night, with folks spilling out of restaurants, enjoying a glass of wine or eating some ice cream at the sidewalk tables while the classics roared by only a block away. While Old Woodward wasn't bumper-to-bumper, classic and unique rides — such as a baby blue VW Thing — rolled through town. Still, Woodward wasn't far away and you could tell.

"Woodward Avenue even smells like muscle cars," Patch auto blogger Joel Ruschman said.

10 p.m., Royal Oak/Birmingham: It's always interesting watching the police shut down Woodward at night. At 14 Mile and Woodward, they set up flares to close off lanes to push northbound and southbound Woodward traffic onto 14 Mile. Cruisers seem to know the drill, too, and are patient. Of course, many of them will come back soon and roar up and down Woodward again. Then there's tomorrow, the official Woodward Dream Cruise!

9:51 p.m. Tweet from @brookspatterson: Oh that Oakland County exec can be a real card! He tweets: "Hey everybody, come down to the #Woodward #DreamCruise. Seeing these old cars reminds me of my high school days. You know...12 years ago" Ha, ha, ha.

Did you know you can sit in the middle of Woodward to watch the cruising action in Ferndale? That is not allowed farther north on the 16-mile route. One couple who comes in from Seattle tried watching from Duggan's but prefers the quieter spot down south.

Friday evening, Berkley:  Hundreds of people sipped Pomery champagne and ate crepes, shrimp and fine cheese at while listening to live soul music Friday night as part of the , an annual fundraiser for Forgotten Harvest, a nonprofit agency committed to fighting hunger in Metro Detroit. Attendees paid $150 for a single ticket, which includes access to an assortment of fine foods and drinks. Those who came say they love the Woodward Avenue location so they can spot cruisers and enjoy the food and drinks. "It's a good cause," said David O'Brien, 51, of Northville. "I grew up on Woodward; I used to have to fight for a spot like this."

8:04 p.m.: The classic car parade may be over, but there is still plenty of fun left to be had tonight in Berkley! Here's the schedule:

• Until 9 p.m.: Children’s inflatable games will be set up between Tyler and Gardner, north of 12 Mile. There is no admission fee for the games, but all children must wear socks to use the inflatables.
• Until 9 p.m.: The Tri-Community Coalition will sponsor a Street Dance on Griffith Street north of 12 Mile.
• Until 9:30 p.m.: Twistin Tarantulas will perform at 12 Mile and Robina.  
• Until 11 p.m.: Aaron Vaughn Band will perform at 12 Mile and Robina. 
• All evening: Food and beverages will available for purchase throughout the downtown business district.

7:20 p.m.: As soon as all the classic cars had passed folks packed up their bag chairs and headed for the hills (or the suburbs, as it were) creating a different kind of pedestrian traffic jam on the sidewalks.

6:45 p.m: And they're off. More than 400 classic cars are streaming out of in Berkley, many sporting American flags and rumbling engines as they make their way through downtown.

City and state officials kicked of the Woodward Dream Cruise in Ferndale with at East Nine Mile Road and Woodward followed by an Emergency Vehicle Cruise. Earlier in the day, there was an .

Mayor Dave Coulter, Ferndale's state Sen. Vincent Gregory and state Rep. Ellen Cogen-Lipton, Oakland County Sheriff Mike Bouchard, president of Ferndale-based Gage Products Dan Finkiewicz, and the Secretary of State Ruth Johnson, as well as officials from Ford, were on hand for the ribbon-cutting ceremony to kick off the 17th Woodward Dream Cruise.

"Cars our in our blood, cars our in our hearts and cars are what we do," Coulter said, at the beginning of the event.

will go until 9 p.m. tonight and continue through Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

6:35 p.m. Bloomfield Hills: Earth Angels brought the sounds of the '50s to the stretch of Woodward just south of Long Lake Road with two sets of fun-filled songs and dance numbers in the parking lot of Little Daddy’s. Dozens of onlookers danced and clapped along in the lot and many others that were facing Woodward for a glimpse of Dream Cruisers couldn’t help but turn their chairs around and watch the group of 20 youngsters perform.

Comprised of artists ranging in age from 9 to 18 from around Metro Detroit, the troupe paid homage to artists like the Temptations,  the Tokens and the soundtracks from the Grease films.

“Most of them weren’t even alive when this music was first popular, but I find that they do know some of it and it’s just such a fun era that they are excited to be part of it, from the music to the costumes,” said Lisa Campos-DeWitt, who founded the nonprofit group in her backyard in 1986.

It was the group’s final tune-up before their live television performance on Channel 7’s Dream Cruise coverage from Pontiac on Saturday evening. For more information visit www.earthangelsontour.org.

Want hula hoop dancers with that burger? You've got it at Hunter House in Birmingham, where curbside entertainment this afternoon features DJ Fred "Boogie" Brian of WOMC, a band called Legend and three hip-swiveling guys with DayGlo hoops and foam outfits representing a pickle, ketchup container and mustard squeeze bottle. 

5 p.m., Royal Oak: Have you been out on Woodward yet? Wow! It is busy, busy, busy. If you are driving, even at the slow cruising speeds because of heavy traffic, it's hard to pay attention to the road with all the tents and signs and flags and people and cars all around. It's a beautiful, sunny warm day so the shady spots along Woodward for the cruise spectators are at a premium. It should be another lovely evening, too, with zero chance of rain and a clear sky. 

4:10 p.m., Birmingham: Burgers and fries, rather than vehicles rinses and detailing, will be offered Friday evening and Saturday alongside Jax Car Wash on Woodward – which always shuts on Cruise Day, naturally. A tent, tables and chairs fill its side entrance lot, where grills are being set up by Ned's Travel Burger. The local business, based on Cole Street in the Rail District, has a mobile kitchen in a sleek, slivery 1949 Airstream – a Cruise-worthy vintage vehicle itself.    

3:50 p.m., Birmingham: Among those earning pay to be outside on Woodward is Michael Agosta of Royal Oak, an outgoing 25-year-old banker and car buff who wangled the sweet job of leaving his branch in Kroger so he could hand out promo flyers to cruise-watchers. "I'll be out back at 6 a.m. tomorrow, setting up at 12 Mile with my family," he said with hardly any prompting. "We all love classic cars. My dad has a '67 Impala, my mom has a '69 Chevelle and I've got a Malibu." What year?, he's asked. "1980 and it's a beaut, really. Come by and see us – we'll have food."   

3:35 p.m., Birmingham: Two particularly popular cruisers tossed wrapped ham mini-sandwiches to spectators from a Jimmy John's chain pickup creeping slowly in the southbound curb lane of Woodward. Most were grabbed as deftly as a slow foul ball at Comerica Park, and some were tossed to passengers in the next lane. At least one fell short, alas, and soon became a ham pancake.

3:28 p.m., Bloomfield Township: People are lining up in droves for tonight's pre-Dream Cruise traffic along Woodward Avenue on both sides of Square Lake Road. Won't be long until it's filled up.

3:20 p.m., Birmingham: It looks like the day before a carnival where South Old Woodward meets the cruiseway. Chevrolet has deployed a trailer with his and her bathrooms, concert-size speakers, two sets of five-tier bleachers and vehicles galore. A stretch of Old Woodward is closed to traffic, workers scurry around tents and trucks and GM Heritage Center crews from Sterling Heights position vintage vehicles from their attraction.  

1:35 p.m., Bloomfield Hills: There are plenty of places for a family picnic in the Bloomfied area, but perched right along Woodward Avenue south of Long Lake Road Friday afternoon was just where Jennifer Crawford and her family wanted to be as pre-Dream Cruise activities got underway.

"I love this," said Crawford, 36, who trekked from Port Clinton, Ohio with her three children and sister-in-law for their first Woodward Dream Cruise. "I'm looking for the (Plymouth) Belmont. That's one of my favorite cars that I hope to see."

1 p.m. Ferndale: Emergency car lovers popped from vehicle to vehicle Friday during the on East Nine Mile between Bermuda and Leland. Dozens of emergency vehicles lined the road, and will take place in a parade at 5:30 p.m.. The official ribbon-cutting for the Woodward Avenue Dream Cruise takes place at 5 p.m. in Mustang Alley.

Woodward Avenue the week before the Dream Cruise is a sensory experience that can't be told just through words or photos. Judy Davids, Royal Oak local editor, took her video camera out and captured from the road, including a great interview with Evaristo Jesus Oliva Valdes, driving in his car covered in toys, and a view from a car driving down Woodward, showing the people ogling the cars.

Virtual vacation in AmEx booth, party at Duggan's

American Express has jumped into the Dream Cruise, offering a virtual summer vacation escape at its booth in in Royal Oak today and Saturday. Visitors to the American Express booths can take a photo using a green screen background from a favorite vacation destination and be entered to win 100,000 miles at Delta Airlines after registering for their photo. Delta SkyMiles credit card holders will be granted priority access to the booth and earn a chance to be among 10 cardholders and their guests given priority access to attend a VIP party Saturday hosted by American Express at .

12:20 p.m. Bloomfield Hills

Setting up: Somebody’s got to do it

Though their eyes would rather be focused on the loud muscle cars and sleek roadsters zipping by the corner of  Woodward Avenue and Lone Pine Road, Lisa Gleeson and her son Brandon are hard at work fastening tent lines, moving benches and clearings the grounds outside O’Keefe and Associates.

Gleeson, owner of Lisa’s Gift Wrappers of Royal Oak, is planning the financial-services firm’s annual Woodward Dream Cruise party starting at 4:30 p.m. tonight. The event caters to about 170 employees, clients and their families and is perfectly situated on well-shaded, elevated ground overlooking four lanes of southbound Woodward.

“It’s a great place to see the cars and they’ve been out all day already,” said Gleeson, who has coordinated the event for the past two years.

 And as far as the sights go, Gleeson said Friday night is just as good, if not better than Saturday when factoring in the variety of vehicles.

“A lot of people like coming out with their older cars and driving in the evening,” she said. “There’s more room to move and it’s not too hot out so they don’t have to worry about their cars overheating.”

10 a.m Friday: The setup along Woodward continued in earnest early today, less than 24 hours before the official start of the Woodward Dream Cruise at 9 a.m. Saturday, after a ribbon-cutting in Ferndale at 5 p.m. today. Plenty of events have already kicked into high gear, including and Volt events Thursday. .

In Berkley this evening, folks will flock to the actual , the city's annual classic car parade and downtown party,  while the at  will raise money for Forgotten Harvest. Farther north in Bloomfield Hills, the Earth Angels will perform at 5 and 6:30 at just south of Long Lake Road.

When it comes to Woodward Dream Cruise crowds and traffic jams, businesses along the Woodward corridor either eat it up or close up shop. With the longest stretch of Dream Cruise real estate in Royal Oak, from 10 Mile all the way up to 14 Mile, the city seems to be the epicenter. .

Just Baked, and all have special plans to embrace the cruisers. Others prefer to close the doors and come back Monday. 

Some businesses, such as , throw open their doors, while others, such as , close up shop. 

Souvenir sign giveaways 

Cruisn'News, a Sterling Heights publication founded in 1995 – three months before the inaugural Woodward Dream Cruise -- is handing out bumper sticker-style "I Cruised Woodward" signs with Saturday's date. The freebies are at two Royal Oak hotspots --  and the  nearby across Woodward near Normandy. Staff members also distribute them while creeping along at curbside in an electric green Hemi Ram, a "sea foam" ’53 Ford Customline, a light blue ‘60 Ford Galaxie and a white ‘64 convertible GTO -- all pictured at this post by managing editor Brad Lowrey. http://cruisnews.com/article/2011-i-cruised-woodward-collectors-signs 

Rep. Gary Peters and wife to attend Champagne Cruise

Congressman Gary Peters, who , said he was looking forward to the Woodward Dream Cruise. The Bloomfield Hills resident said he and his wife, Colleen, will be at the  at  on Woodward in Berkley, a fundraiser for Forgotten Harvest, an organization that helps combat hunger in Metro Detroit.

Online chatter about the Dream Cruise

8:01 a.m., MLive.com: In a post about why he loves and hates this week, MLive.com blogger Jeff Wattrick amusingly salutes fellow Woodward corridor residents for "surviving this ordeal, year in and year out." 
He sees Saturday's event as "fantastic . . . wholesome family fun celebrating Americana and Detroit’s signature industry." Not so much the weeklong "unnecessary and unfortunate traffic jam," which he illustrates with 10 photos from Thursday night in Birmingham and Royal Oak.

Morning Shift, Jalopnick: This morning's post by Ray Wert advises those who want to see the Jalopnick "staff cruiser" might want to sign up to attend the Jalopnick Meet-up at 7:45 tonight in Royal Oak. "The first 25 people to come out and tweet a picture of the car — with the hashtag in the car window — get a free Jalopnik bumper sticker."