By Chuck Vranas -Images by the Author
If there was ever a perfect formula for creating an event it would be by fusing sun, surf, and classic trucks together in one cool package. There’s nothing like hitting the open road in your hauler knowing that once you arrive to your destination you’ll have reached a total state of nirvana at the 35th Annual Cruisin’ Ocean City. Located in the charming seaside community of Ocean City, Maryland, there was no better place to be for a fun-filled weekend of festivities where horsepower rules. Well-over 3,000 registered truck and car owners pulled into town, excited to cruise the 10-mile strip to experience what makes the weekend so memorable.
Once you’ve picked up your credentials at the convention center it’s time to hit the streets as you motor past miles of manicured beaches leading to you to the Inlet, which serves as the epicenter of the event. It borders the beach and deep ocean with capacity of over 1,500 vehicles, which fills up fast, but thanks to a multitude of other happenings every day, it turns over regularly. Showcasing many of the region’s finest classic trucks, hot rods, muscle cars, and restos is easy with them all gleaming under the sun as they wait for you to check them out in detail. Regardless of whether you dig traditional or a contemporary of a fusion of styles, this event has them all. Adjacent to the Inlet, you’ll find a nostalgic boardwalk that extends for miles, complete with an old-time amusement park, arcades, Ferris wheel, haunted house, and plenty of neat beach-eats to make you remember back to when you were knee-high to a C10 bumper.
Without a doubt one of the most fun experiences was the chance to cruise your classic truck down the historic boardwalk during one of the scheduled early morning parades as you’re welcomed by legions of cheering fans. Since this is a true driving event, there are a multitude of mini shows to check across town out at a number of venues, including ones at Forgotten 50 Distilling, Grand Prix, Seacrets, the Atlantic Hotel, Beach Bum West-O, Taphhouse West OC, Northside Pit & Pub, Green Turtle, Jay’s Café, Gold Coast Mall and Papi’s Taco’s, to name but a few. The Cruisin’ team always brings plenty of great entertainment and celebrities to the weekend. This year they featured a concert by Micky Dolenz of The Monkees, as well as meet and greets with WWE superstar Sgt. Slaughter and Avery Shoaf from Rust Valley Restorers.
When night falls, your average car show packs it up, however this event keeps moving where you’ll need to top off the tank, get a bite, and cruise the strip late into the night to the sounds of roaring V-8s. An endless stream of trophy award ceremonies and scheduled entertainment throughout the weekend generates even more excitement. This is a show that always manages to sell out well in advance so plan ahead for next year! You can check it all out at specialeventpro.com.
Check out this story in our digital edition here.
