Gleaming classic cars draw crowd at cruise-in

From Statesman Journal:  Gleaming classic cars draw crowd at cruise-in

Grill-to-grill gleam beneath sunny skies.

That was the scene Saturday at Macleay as car aficionados cruised in from around the valley and beyond to take part in the Flywheels 27th Annual Macleay Cruise-In.


Warm weather and spirits ensured a hearty, festive turnout of both classic cars and appreciative viewers. Attendees range from toddlers to old timers as the several-acre field behind host Macleay Country Inn filled up with 163 hobby vehicles, many immaculately conditioned under the TLC of owners possessed by vehicular fervor.


A beer garden and barbecue also proved popular, while the country inn served a full midday crowd and the adjacent Macleay Country Market greeted a steady stream of drink and snack seekers.

“They always put on the barbecue and beer garden over there, and they kept it open until Monday,” said Flywheels organizer Bob Noble. “Since they already had the beer garden, they decided to add the motorcycle show.”


The motorcycles pull in today to take place of the classic cars. Organizer Chris Bryant said he expects to see about 100 on hand between noon and 5 p.m.



“This is the ninth year with the motorcycles,” Bryant said. “Depending on the weather, I’d say we’ll get about 100 bikes. If we get this kind of weather, we may get more.”


Blue skies and comfortable temperatures were ideal for this event, which is conducted by the Silverton Flywheels and hosted by Macleay Country Inn owners Jerry and Danny Miller. The Millers purchased several acres directly south of their inn, affording the event’s growth.


“When I first started coming to this, there were only cars in this area,” Noble said, referring to the late 1990s while gesturing to the modest area between the inn and the adjacent fire station. “There were only about a dozen cars then. As you can see, there are a lot more, and it’s going good.”


Noble said the car entries, which vied for trophies among classics, hot rods, cool rides, muscle cars, trucks and chicks choice, primarily came from around the valley, but there were some from the Vancouver, Wash., area and one 1957 Ford pickup that came in from Lakeport, Calif.