KULPMONT - Classic cars will own the road Sunday when the borough hosts one of the region's biggest summer parties.
In its 11th year, the Great Kulpmont Cruise has grown into a community-wide event bringing in people from across Pennsylvania and surrounding states.
"It is not just local. We have a lot of local people, but we have a nice variation from where the vehicles come from," said Joe Cesari, president of the Kulpmont Cruise Association Inc.
Registration begins at 11:30 a.m. at the Holy Angels Roman Catholic Church picnic grounds, followed by judging until 2:30 p.m. Registration is $13. The cruise will begin at 3:30 p.m. on Route 61 (Chestnut Street). He said the association hopes to get the cars back on the road by 5:30 p.m. and into their garages by dark.
"If it is a nice day, we get thousands of people," Cesari said, adding that participants will include clubs from Harrisburg, Williamsport and New Jersey.
He said he does not know how the word spreads on the cruise but it continues to grow.
"The crowds get bigger. They come from a wide area to take in the cruise," Cesari said. "It is different than a car show, but at our cruise you see an array of vehicles.
"We fill the streets with vehicles," he said.
The cruise will feature the Victorian High Wheelers, Tamaqua, and live music from The Shoreliners and Deuce.
"Our cruise is unique because we have two live bands," Cesari said. The bands will travel the route on flatbeds with generators and are adequately spaced for listening pleasure.
Proceeds from the event help fund the playground project at the Terry Miriello Sports Complex and local youth programs, including the Kulpmont Football and Baseball Association.
Like most outdoor events, weather will determine the success of this year's cruise.
"The nicer the weather, the more money we will raise and the more money we give to the kids," Cesari said.
The main hub for the event will be located at the Holy Angels picnic grounds. The cars will be on display there for judging until the start of the cruise. Cesari said that in previous years every decade has been represented going back to the 1920s.
"If it is a nice day, we estimate we have 250 vehicles," he said. Last year, he said they had 240 vehicles.
A DJ will provide entertainment at the picnic grounds and a variety of food will be available, including ethnic food stands run by the Kulpmont Football and Baseball Association.
Food and drinks will also be available along Chestnut Street.
The cruise association will also be offering its annual event T-shirt. This year's shirt, made from Under Armour material, is bright orange and decorated with classic cars and "Great Kulpmont Cruise."
Cesari said this year's shirt is in such high demand that they are already available at Fuel On in the borough.
"We have a T-shirt that is second to none this year," he said.
Cesari said one of the best aspects of the cruise is its transformation into a community-oriented event. He said he had previously received calls from residents asking for the cruise date so they could plan their family reunions around it.
"When you have a monster, you have to feed the monster. And we have a monster here in Kulpmont with the cruise," Cesari said.
For more information on the Great Kulpmont Cruise, call 373-3561.