Spanning 16 miles of Woodward Avenue, the Woodward Dream Cruise of classic and muscle cars is expected to attract more than 1.3 million people and 40,000 vehicles. Photo credit: Woodward Dream Cruise via Facebook
DETROIT — The traffic jam/party of the year known as the Woodward Dream Cruise is back for a 24th year.
Car enthusiasts, auto companies and suppliers are expected to bring out and show off about 40,000 classic, muscle, custom and collector rides for the annual Woodward Dream Cruise in the suburbs north of Detroit on Saturday. What began in 1995 as a fundraiser for a soccer field in Ferndale has since grown into what is called the biggest one-day car show in the world.
Ford Motor Co. returns as the presenting sponsor for the one-day festival that stretches for 16 miles from Ferndale to Pontiac and back — and for days and weeks ahead of the main day.
“We’re so fortunate with Ford as the presenting sponsor. This is a global company that will write checks back to the nine cities, that at least helps,” Woodward Dream Cruise Executive Director Tony Michaels said.
About 1.3 million people are expected to participate in cruise festivities and spend more than $150 million, said Michael O’Callaghan, COO of the Metro Detroit Convention and Visitors Bureau. About 26 percent of the 1.3 million are visitors to the area and occupancy rates at hotels in Oakland, Macomb and Wayne counties are at 90 percent, he said.
“When you take a look at the number of hotel rooms that are being consumed, about 40,000 room nights are being consumed for the week,” O’Callaghan said. “This is our Mardi Gras.”
Airbnb is seeing a bump of about 40 percent in bookings for the week, spokesman Ben Breit said. The popular short-timer rental platform said it expects 930 guest arrivals during Dream Cruise week. “Oakland County hosts will earn about $100,000 combined, with the typical host earning $270 during Woodard Dream Cruise,” he said.
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