Woodward Dream Cruise 2022: Everything you need to know

Chandra Fleming, Detroit Free Press
·9 min read

Big-finned Caddys, classic Corvettes, souped-up dragsters, and even the venerable 1997 Honda Civic Type R, which turns 25 this year, will be lined up bumper-to-bumper Saturday for the 27th annual Woodward Dream Cruise.

Auto enthusiasts from all over the world, including New Zealand, Japan and Australia, flock to the cruise annually for a taste of car history in Michigan.

The cruise started in 1995 and is always held on the third Saturday in August.

It began as an effort by Nelson House plus a group of volunteers seeking to raise money for a soccer field in Ferndale. They also wanted to re-create the nostalgic era of the 1950s and '60s, with music and cars roaming down Woodward. The first year brought in 250,000 people and has grown each year since then.

Nine Oakland County cities participate along a 16-mile radius of Woodward.

Starting as early as Thursday, car enthusiasts will crowd Woodward and surrounding communities to showcase their wheels.

Woodward Dream Cruise schedule

The cruise starts in Pontiac and stretches down Woodward toward Ferndale.

Berkley

Friday: CruiseFest Classic Car Parade

The parade begins at 6:30 p.m. and travels west down 12 Mile from Woodward to Greenfield. There will be food, entertainment and places for families to watch the parade. About 7:30 p.m., Detroit blues group Denise Davis and the Motor City Sensations will perform on Robina Avenue, north of 12 Mile Road.

On Friday and Saturday at West 12 Mile, official Woodward Dream Cruise merchandise will be available for purchase all day.

Birmingham

Saturday: Birmingham Cruise Classic Car Show

From 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., this car show will take place in the Walgreens lot at 34300 Woodward Ave. and surrounding streets like Haynes to Adams Road, Worth Street to Woodward and Webster Street to Adams Road. Birmingham shops will be open, and there will be sponsor exhibits for spectators to enjoy.

Parking for this event can be found in one of six Birmingham parking structures; metered parking will also be available.

The Peabody Street structure is located right off Woodward at 222 Peabody. The first two hours are free.

Other parking structures include the following:

  • Chester Street structure: 180 S. Chester St.

  • North Old Woodward structure: 333 N. Old Woodward

  • Park Street structure: 333 Park St.

  • Pierce Street structure: 333 Pierce St.

  • Public Parking Lot 6: 660 N. Old Woodward

WXYZ-TV (Channel 7) and WOMC-FM (104.3) will be broadcasting live from Birmingham.

Ferndale

Friday: Ferndale Dream Cruise Events

Ferndale Emergency Vehicle Show & Ford Motor Co. is scheduled from 1-7 p.m. with the official Woodward Dream Cruise Ribbon Cutting ceremony at 5 p.m. near east Nine Mile Road at Woodward. The lights and siren cruise starts at 5:30 p.m. The Kids Car Club will also be in attendance, for kids to enjoy electric mini-car rides, games and bounce houses.

West of Woodward, from 1 p.m. to 8 p.m., "A Storyland of Floats" from the Detroit Thanksgiving Day Parade will be on exhibit.

From 1 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., musical guests will perform on the Rock' n Live Entertainment Stage near West Nine Mile Road in downtown Ferndale.

Lineup of performances

Friday

  • 1 p.m.: M-1 Jazz Collective

  • 3 p.m.: American Ages Band

  • 5 p.m.: The Favorites

  • 7:30 p.m.: Billy Mack and the Juke Joint Johnnies

Saturday

  • 11 a.m.: Bad Mojo Band

  • 1 p.m.: Surf Zip

  • 3 p.m.: Look'in Back, A Bob Seger Tribute Band

  • 5 p.m.: City Beat, A Motown Sound

  • 7:30 p.m.: Infinity & Beyond, A Journey Tribute Band

Saturday: Ferndale Dream Cruise Events

Mustang Alley will take place with Ford Motor Co. from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. with the entrance starting at Hilton Road at East Nine Mile Road. It costs $20 to enter, only cash is accepted. Pre-registration is closed but vehicles not pre-registered can enter at about 10 a.m.

The Kids Car Club and Kids Play Zone will also be held from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. More performances will follow as well from 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. at the Rock' n Live Entertainment Stage.

Visitors will be able to purchase food, and official Woodward Dream Cruise merchandise all day.

Royal Oak

Friday: Performance Park Classic Car Show

Car enthusiasts can enjoy some classic cars before the main event from noon to 7 p.m. at Memorial Park at 31050 Woodward.

Saturday: Royal Oak Dream Cruise Events

Cruise in Shoes 5k Run & Walk will kick off at 8 and lasts until 9:30 a.m., on Yorba Linda Boulevard. Participants will be able to run along Woodward and several Royal Oak neighborhood streets before ending at Shrine Catholic High School.

Pre-registering is available online or on the day of, sign-up will be available at Shrine Catholic High School. Registration is $40 until Wednesday and will be $45 the day of the race.

The Performance Park Classic Car Show will continue from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday.

Vendors will also be selling food and official Dream Cruise merchandise.

Pleasant Ridge

Saturday: Ford Bronco Show

Ford Bronco and the Bronco Corral will be in attendance from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Woodward and Oakland Park Boulevard.

Official cruise merchandise will be available for purchase there as well.

Pontiac

Friday: Woodward Dream Show

From 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. at M1 Concourse, over 600 cars in 13 classes including hot rods, race cars, muscle cars and cruisers will be on display and compete in exhibition competitions. This year, kids will get in free, live music is expected and there will be shaded seating for 1,000 guests. In addition, there will be a live reveal about noon of Mobsteel's Lincoln Coupe. Mobsteel is a design company that focuses on manufacturing automotive aftermarket products.

The show will feature over 50 Fords dating to 1932, nearly 30 Lincolns and Firebirds, over 100 Corvettes, and more than 50 American classic hot rods.

Judges will give awards for best in that class, plus awards for Best in Show and People's Choice Awards. Guests will be able to vote through a QR code. Winners will be announced at 5 p.m.

Ticket prices

  • 18 and older: $50

  • 13 to 17 : $25

  • 12 and younger : Free

Purchasing a ticket includes no charge on parking and shuttle, and a better view to see the cars up-close.

Ticket holder activities

  • Metro Detroit rock band Vavoom will perform from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m.

  • Ride with a professional along the North Loop.

  • M1 Concourse Paddock Pavilion allows guests access to craft beers, wine and spirits and other beverages, and the live music.

  • Pit Stop Alley allows for attendees to get their grub on with a range of food trucks. It also includes seating for guests to get comfortable and enjoy the featured cars.

  • R/C Off-Road Course lets guests race one of 20 R/C remote-controlled EV race cars.

Rules

  • Events happen rain or shine.

  • Minors need to be accompanied by an adult.

  • Tickets are nonrefundable.

  • No outside food or drinks.

M1 Concourse is located at 1 Motorsports Drive, Pontiac.

Also on Friday, Pontiac will host a classic car show on Saginaw Street from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Saturday: Woodward Dream Parade

Car club members and invited guests will meet again at M1 Concourse for the parade starting at 8 a.m. From 9:30 to 10:30 a.m., about 200 vehicles will cruise down Woodward and through downtown Pontiac. The event will open to the public around 11 a.m. in the Woodward Paddock and arena area with food trucks. In the M1 Kid Zone there will be R/C cars, pedal cars and slot cars.

From noon to 7 p.m., live music will be performed in the arena next to the biergarten. These events end at 8 p.m.

Food and drinks will be available for purchase on-site; no outside food and drink will be allowed.

Parking for Woodward Dream Show events

  • Shuttles will be provided for round-trip pickups and drop-offs between Williams International parking lot and the M1 Concourse.

  • Off-site parking is located at 2000 S. Opdyke Road, Pontiac.

Hotels nearby

  • Hotel Royal Oak: 811 E. 11 Mile Road, Royal Oak

  • Doubletree by Hilton: 39475 Woodward Ave., Bloomfield Hills

  • Embassy Suites by Hilton Detroit Troy, Auburn Hills: 850 Tower Drive , Troy

  • Cambria Hotel Detroit-Shelby Township : 50741 Corporate Drive, Shelby Township

  • Daxton Hotel: 298 S. Old Woodward Ave., Birmingham

Restaurants nearby

  • Detroit Taco Co.: 2199 Crooks Road, Troy

  • Crispelli's Bakery & Pizzeria: 28939 Woodward Ave., Berkley

  • Gus's World Famous Fried Chicken: 31105 Woodward Ave., Royal Oak

  • Como's: 22812 Woodward Ave., Ferndale

  • Churchill's: 116 S. Old Woodward Ave., Birmingham

SMART bus options and bypasses

Attendees can hop on a free SMART dream cruise shuttle from 8 Mile to Pontiac. The shuttles will run from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., Saturday. Passengers can board at any RED SMART or FAST bus stops along Woodward. Masks are encouraged but are not required.

A Snapchat filter presented by Ford will also be available for usage.

Bus bypasses

Routes: 450, 460, FAST routes 461 and 462 will start at 8 a.m. and go until 11 p.m. and will end and start at their regular locations.

If passengers are traveling between State Fair Transit Center and Troy P&R, they can board or de-board at any SMART or FAST stop as long as they flag the driver down.

There will be no pickups or drop-offs between Troy P&R and Pontiac.

Bypass transfer points are:

  • State Fair Transit Center

  • Royal Oak Transit Center

  • 13 Mile & Coolidge

  • Somerset Collection- South

  • Downtown Pontiac

  • Auburn Hills Meijer

The following bus routes will operate regularly: 415/420 Greenfield/Southfield, 730 10 Mile, 740 12 Mile, 760 13 Mile, 14 Mile and 780 15 Mile.

SMART bus encourages passengers to plan ahead before their trips due to possible delays leading up to the cruise and the day of the event.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Woodward Dream Cruise 2022: Everything you need to know