The Downtown Merchants Association’s Summer Cruise Nights Series concluded July 25 with the Fast & Loud Exotics car show in downtown Lake Elsinore.
The event featured exotic and performance vehicles, food vendors, music, giveaways and local merchants. Downtown businesses stayed open throughout the evening as attendees walked Main Street and stopped to shop and eat.
Car show participant Eric Williams brought his 1968 Chevrolet Camaro, a restomod he has owned for about six years. He purchased the car from an owner in Arizona and completed the remaining work before bringing it to shows.
“It’s a restomod, which means it’s meant to look original,” he said. “But, the engine, the drivetrain, the suspension, the tires, everything is off of modern technology.”
Williams said his favorite feature is the car’s drivetrain, which he said is similar to that of a modern Corvette. He said the Camaro has about 800 horsepower and is built to be driven and enjoyed.Â
Williams said the Camaro often draws attention at car shows, but his favorite part of attending events is meeting the people who come out.
“You see a lot of cars here, but for me, it’s meeting all the different types of people,” he said. “That’s probably the most fun part.”
Nearby, Dennis Stuart displayed several of his vehicles, including a 1934 Chevy Vicky, 1940 Ford two-door and 2001 Plymouth Prowler.
Stuart said he spent several years trying to buy the 1940 Ford before the owner eventually lowered the price. He purchased the vehicle about five years ago.Â
Stuart and his family regularly take the vehicles to car shows, including events in Lake Havasu. He also participated in the first Summer Cruise Nights Series event, the Old School Low Riders car show on May 30. His 1940 Ford two-door received a top 10 award at the event.
Asked what he enjoys most about attending car shows, Stuart said, “Just seeing all the people and looking at all the cars.”
Downtown Merchants Association President Tina Breese reflected on the Summer Cruise Nights Series following the final event.
“Overall, I believe the Summer Cruise Nights Series was a great success,” Breese said. “Even though we experienced some very hot weather during the events, we still had an excellent turnout with a tremendous amount of community support.”
Breese said her favorite part of the series was seeing the community’s reaction.
“My favorite part of the series was seeing the smiles on everyone’s faces and watching the community come together,” she said. “Seeing Main Street filled with beautiful vehicles, live entertainment and people supporting our local businesses made all the hard work worthwhile.”
Breese said the association hopes to bring the series back next year.
“We will be reviewing this year’s events, gathering feedback and working with our partners to make next year’s series even bigger and better,” she said.
