Cruise Night ready to roll

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 19/05/2023 (1229 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

It’s official. Those who had their classic collectibles in the garage all winter have thrown off the drop cloths, shined up the chrome and polished the headlights.

Cruise Night in Downtown Brandon is put on by Brandon and Area Car Enthusiasts (BACE) on the first Thursday of every month from June through September.

It’s a show and shine that has been running for more than 20 years.

For seven blocks along Rosser Avenue, spectators can get up close and personal with an assortment of vintage, antique and classic cars, trucks, and motorcycles in the province, said Road Rebels Car Club president Dave Burba, who is also a member of BACE.

“We like Thursday nights because by Friday, most people are gone for the weekend. And our night is open to everybody and anything. Someone could have that vehicle they pull out of the bush and bring it down, or someone else will have a $150,000 car sitting down there as well. It’s just a perfect mix of everything to get everybody together,” Burba said.

A Cruise Night took place downtown last night, but the chilly weather kept many classic car owners at home.

Organizers want the focus of Cruise Night to be on cars that are of interest, that showcase the pride of ownership and commitment of caring.

Burba knows his vehicles, having amassed an impressive number of them — “300” that he has “saved from the crusher” over the years — but he still wishes he had his first car, which was a 1964 Chevrolet Impala four-door sedan.

“When I was in college in 1978, I would be out with friends cruising around and I grew into the ’50s and early ’60s cars, especially the late ’50s cars because they’re so stylish with the nice big wings on there,” said Burba.

“So, other than my first Impala, I’m really partial to the cars from 1959.”

There are more than 50 car clubs across the province, including the Road Rebels and BACE, with almost 40 events like Brandon’s Cruise Night from now until September, according to the Manitoba Association of Car Clubs, a non-profit association that promotes the protection of antique and specialty vehicles and their owners across the province.

Brandon may not compete with Winnipeg’s size and number of car clubs, but Burba said there’s something special about the camaraderie between car collectors in this area that you won’t find in the big cities.

It could have something to do with peoples’ roots, he added, and how the love of vehicles is ingrained in those who have moved to Brandon from rural areas and appreciate their ride.

“A lot of people like me who grew up on farms were driving machines and vehicles as soon as we were allowed and couldn’t wait to get our driver’s licence. And when we did, it was usually an old car, which we fixed up and drove. Plus, in rural Manitoba, to get anywhere, you have to drive,” Burba said as he laughed.

There is something else the car enthusiasts have in common during each Cruise Night — the belief that it’s important to give back to the community, and the opportunity to do so.

So, for the past 14 years, drivers, riders and spectators have been helping the Road Rebels support the Elspeth Reid Family Resource Centre one burger at a time.

Burba estimated they have donated more than $60,000 to the non-profit over the years, and added it has been a perfect fit because both organizations focus on families.

The downtown resource centre provides parenting education, resources to help strengthen the bond between a parent and their child, and drop-in playtime, which has a direct link to the Road Rebels, said Surien Fourie, the communications and public relations specialist at Child and Family Services, which runs the centre.

Fourie said it takes a healthy community and a “village” to raise a child, and she has seen the generosity among the Road Rebels parents.

“Specifically, the money that the members of Road Rebels fundraise each year goes towards the drop-in playtime, as well as our transportation capacity. We have a van that picks up clients so they can attend our programming,” said Fourie.

Cruise Night in Downtown Brandon will take place on the first Thursday of every month from 6 to 9 p.m., along Rosser Avenue between Sixth and 13th streets.

Next up for the Road Rebels is the ninth annual Blessing of the Wheels at St. George’s Anglican Church (1011 Fifth St.) on May 25 at 6:30 p.m.

For more information, visit the Road Rebels at facebook.com/roadrebelscarclub.

» mmcdougall@brandonsun.com

» Twitter: @enviromichele