Woodward Dream Cruise Bringing Huge Rolling Car & Truck Show to Detroit

Ford trucks are one of the most popular draws at the August event, but there is something for everyone.

The Woodward Dream Cruise is one of the most incredible automotive events held anywhere in the world. Tens of thousands of vehicles line Detroit’s Woodward Avenue while hundreds of thousands of people watch from roadside, creating what is likely the biggest rolling car show in the world. What started off decades ago as a way for the municipalities along the cruise route to raise some money for community projects has turned into a week-long festival that centers around cruising one of America’s great streets.

Although the largest group of vehicles in attendance at the Woodward Dream Cruise each year is muscle cars, there are examples from every make, model, genre, and type. This includes a lot of pickups. And while there are trucks from every automaker dating back to the 1920s, the Ford F-1, F-100, and F-150 are the most common trucks in the cruise. As the years have gone on, what started as a cruise has expanded to a 16-mile-long event that fills just about every parking lot and stretches down the roads crossing Woodward. One of the streets that is a key attraction is 9 Mile Road in Ferndale, which is occupied by Ford Motor Company.

9 Mile and Woodward

If you love Ford products or American performance in general and you are attending the Woodward Dream Cruise, you will to make sure to visit the intersection of 9 Mile Road and Woodward Avenue in Ferndale. This is near the southern-most point of the route and for years, it has served as the location of the Ford corporate display.

In the portion of the display west of Woodward Avenue, Ford traditionally has a collection of new trucks. Almost like a display that you would see at a big auto show. In most cases, they have a basic F-150, a Raptor, a Super Duty, and a Transit Connect in stock form, allowing attendees a chance to check out the trucks that they could go buy at their local dealership.

The western end of the Ford display also has a large stage with live music, a collection of food trucks, and an array of activities for the kids, such as bounce houses and air brush tattoo stands. This is definitely one of the best places to go if you are attending the Woodward Dream Cruise with your kids.

On the eastern side of Woodward Avenue, 9 Mile Road begins with a similar auto show-style display, but with performance cars that generally focus on the Mustang. But the Motor Company often shows off their high performance compacts, including the Fiesta ST and the Focus in ST and RS trim. This year, we could see the new Explorer ST, along with the Edge ST, as the company looks to show off all of their go-fast models.

This area typically has a large tent where you can sign up for a credit card and get a free Mustang shirt, which proves to be very popular because the shirts are usually pretty cool. There are also apparel booths and some food on this side of the road as well, but the real gem of the Ford display–perhaps the real gem of the entire Woodward Dream Cruise–is further east on 9 Mile Road. That is, of course, Mustang Alley.

Mustang Alley

There are many areas along the Woodward Dream Cruise where you can see a large group of cars of the same make or model, but there is nothing like Mustang Alley. For close to a mile, both sides of 9 Mile Road are lined with Mustangs from every generation and along that same stretch, every parking lot off of 9 Mile Road is also packed full of Mustangs. We are talking hundreds, if not thousands, of Ford Mustangs all lined up in one area and it is truly a remarkable sight.

Even if you aren’t a hardcore Mustang lover, anyone who appreciates American performance cars will enjoy seeing the massive collection one of the world’s bestselling sporty car. This area also has large corporate displays from Mustang-related companies like Roush. And in past years, Vaughn Gittin Jr. has also had a display in Mustang Alley. It really is like nothing else that we have ever seen. And it is just one small part of the Woodward Dream Cruise.

Whether you are taking a vehicle to cruise, or you are just going to be one of the hundreds of thousands Dream Cruise spectators, this is an event that has to be on the bucket list of every automotive enthusiast. No matter what type or brand of vehicle you like, you are almost guaranteed to see them at the Woodward Dream Cruise, but if you like Ford products, you are sure to get your fill of classic and modern models, including plenty of F-150 pickups.

The event starts on August 17. For more information, go to the Woodward Dream Cruise website.

Patrick Rall

"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.

"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.

"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.

"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.

"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.

"Being based on Detroit," says Rall, "I never miss the North American International Auto Show, the Woodward Dream Cruise and Roadkill Nights, along with spending plenty of time raising hell on Detroit's Woodward Avenue with the best muscle car crowd in the world.

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