Nancy Edmonds Hanson

Are you looking for a high-octane ride on a hot summer night? Try Moorhead Cruise Night, where hundreds of classic car aficionados are cruising in style.
After three sizzling summers bringing car lovers together with a growing spectrum of stylish vehicles, from classics to hot models, the monthly car show is moving to a larger and more easily reached location just off Interstate 94’s Exit 1B on the east side of the Red River.
“For the first time, all of our shows this summer will be taking place at M State,” says organizer Bill Bartholomay. “There’s more room. It’s easier to get to. It’s going to be pretty cool!”
The first Cruise Night of 2024 comes up June 6 – as always, on the first Thursday of the month. From 5:30 to 8 p.m., hundreds of cars and trucks plus the occasional motorcycle, will line the asphalt west of Minnesota State Vocational and Technical College at 1900 28th Avenue South.
Eight vendors and food trucks will line up near the stage on the western margin of the front lot, where local and regional bands will provide music in the open air. Ample parking is available just a few yards away in the large parking area north of the college building. Four free shows are planned through summer’s end: June 6, July 4, Aug. 1 and Sept. 5. (The first of the year, scheduled for May 2, was cancelled due to bad weather.)
Bartholomay launched the show downtown near the Center Mall in 2022 with the help of the mall’s then-manager Andrew Nielsen. Since then, he has organized the shows each year with the help of family and a small crew of fellow auto aficionados, including his daughters Kalli and KyLee (both car fanatics themselves who work on their own vehicles at their father’s side). Other regulars include Sheila England, Robbie Fetch and Wyatt Nelson.

Besides the purr – or roar – of motors, the grounds echo with music by area favorites. Road Trip Radio performs on June 6 and again on Aug. 1. Dan Holt of Detroit Lakes plays on the Fourth of July, the most special of days for celebrating American car makers. The summer’s grand finale Sept. 6 features Fargo’s Third Street Blues Band. “They played last summer and everybody wanted them back,” Bartholomay points out.
Among the concessionaires who have registered for the shows are J&B Concessions of Hawley, Taxi Side of Enderlin, the Corn Dog Man, Lupe’s Tacos, the Rootbeer Float Man, Brain Freeze and Addie’s Ice Cream. The Moorhead American Legion will be serving adult beverages.
Bartholomay expects 2024’s Cruise Nights to eclipse the already impressive numbers attracted in past years. “We have so much more room now,” he emphasizes. “We had as many as 260 vehicles in the past for our downtown shows. Construction ruled that out this year, but it’s a blessing in disguise. This new location by M State will be able to easily accommodate 500 cars, and the parking is just a few steps away.”
As always, admission to the show is free. The monthly entertainers are supported by sponsored by Mazda Kia, Fix It Forward, Luther Ford, Roers Development, and the Moorhead Business Association and American Legion. For information and updates throughout the season, go to www.MoorheadCruiseNight.com.