By Taylor Boyd
After a pandemic-induced hiatus last year, the annual Bassett Highway 57 Cruise-In is on this year.
The event will be held from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 21 at Bassett Furniture.
Cliff Stone, treasurer of Greater Bassett Area Community Inc., said the organization decided to hold the event because limits on the number of those attending a gathering was recently removed.
“We didn’t want to be in violation of that (order), especially when we’re on Bassett Furniture property,” he said.
Stone said the public is invited to attend free of charge. Attendees are encouraged to bring their antique and classic cars to show off to their next-door neighbors and others attending the event.
Food trucks will be onsite as well as a DJ playing music, and other vendors selling confectionaries like fried pies and doughnuts. A 50/50 drawing will be held to benefit local charities. No pets, tents, or burnouts are allowed.
“It’s a family event. We have a lot of family and a lot of children,” he said.
While the cruise-in is scheduled to start at 3 p.m., Stone said some arrive around noon to get a good spot.
“It’s right by the river, and people jockey for that spot where they can get the shade first,” he said, chuckling.
During a normal year, Stone said 1,500 to 2,500 people attend the event, with 250 to 350 vintage cars on display.
“We’ve had people come from Greensboro, Winston-Salem, (N.C.). and we get a lot of folks from the Reidsville area, we get Rocky Mount, a few from Roanoke,” he said. Cars from Kentucky, West Virginia, and New York have also been displayed.
While the event last year was cancelled due to the pandemic, Stone said the group does not plan to cancel the event due to rising COVID-19 cases.
“Not unless we get restricted by the governor to do so. I think most responsible people, and that’s the people we kind of hope to attract, has had their vaccine. We hope it’s not cancelled,” he said.
Other cruise-in events are planned for Saturday, September 18, and Saturday, October 16.
“At the October event, we will have the old-time race car drivers, the champions of the past. Some of them even have their modified and late models, and different cars that they ran,” Stone said.
At the last October event, 20 to 22 old champions including Johnny Bryant and Paul Radford, showed up, he said.
For more information, go to www.bassettcruisein.com or the organization’s social media page at https://www.facebook.com/BassettCruiseIn/.
