The streets of Bellefonte will be full of great music, fun activities for adults and kids, and, most importantly, antique and classic cars and motorcycles. Ita s the annual Bellefonte Cruise, one of the areaa s summer staples, and it begins Friday night and continues all day Saturday, rain or shine.
Bellefonte.com spoke with Pat McCool, Bellefonte Cruise Chairman, who said hea s expecting a max crowd of 500 cars. Pre-registration is closed at this point, but those who want to get involved can sign up the day of the event for a $15 charge.
The festivities begin Friday night at 6pm with the Open Cruise, which the Bellefonte Cruise website describes as a a parade of high performance and classic show cars … cruising the streets of Bellefonte.a Then the opening ceremonies start at 7:30pm on the Diamond, followed by a Sock Hop featuring the Return of Buddy Holly tribute band.
After dancing the night away, return Saturday morning for the car show. Visitors to the Bellefonte Cruise will be able to see more than a 30 classes of cars, trucks and motorcycles on display.a There will be classics, antiques, European and exotic cars, a wide array of vehicles that any car lover would enjoy.
But Bellefonte Cruise isna t only about the cars. A trip downtown will also let you hear music from the Beach Party Boys, the Beach Boys tribute band who has played in past Cruises and now is back by popular demand. There will also be activities for the little ones in your life, including free balloons and face painting.
The Bellefonte Cruise has prided itself on its commitment to bringing new visitors and business to Bellefonte. Pat noted that one of his favorite things about the cruise a is to see the town prospering from it.a He spoke about how many merchants have come up to him and told him how much business theya ve received on the Cruise weekend. a One of my goals,a he said, a is to spread the wealth to the community.a
Many of these vendors will be on site for the Marketplace portion of the Cruise, on the Courthouse lawn, where visitors can shop and learn all about the businesses and artisans of this corner of Pennsylvania.
The Cruise comes to a conclusion at 5pm on Saturday where the awards will be given in a ceremony on the Diamond. If youa ve brought your car to show off, make sure you stick around for this, because you must be present to accept your award.
If youa re looking to help out during this yeara s Cruise, Pat assures us that theya re always looking for volunteers. Just come on down to the Diamond during the Cruise and the folks in charge will thank you and put you to work.
Pat and everyone who runs the Cruise welcome your suggestions about how to make the Cruise the best event it can be. Pat also wanted visitors to know that this year the Cruise is working with a Scout troop to help with the parking. The Cruise is committed to helping out local groups like this, and he just asks that everyone have patience with them as they park.
Most of all, Pat encouraged everyone to enjoy the show! So take his advice, Bellefonte, and enjoy the chrome, roaring engines, and a great time with your friends and neighbors.
