CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa — Windows down, music blaring, engines revving.
Hundreds of hot rods, classic cars, motorcycles, vans, trucks, and convertibles with their tops down, took to First Avenue in Cedar Rapids on Saturday night, May 2, 2020, in a throwback to the past, with a social distancing twist.
Cruisin’ the Avenue was a rite of passage for many teens in the ’50s, ’60s, ’70s, ’80s, and beyond, but adults with little to do during the coronavirus pandemic were prevalent in the most recent rendition.
Related: Freedom Festival canceled due to coronavirus
Reveling in a balmy 70 degree-night, arms waved through rolled down windows, as a steady line of traffic looped bumper-to-bumper from Lindale Mall in northeast Cedar Rapids to the former Kmart parking lot in the southwest.
The event, started on social media, was boosted by Facebook groups such as “You Know You Grew Up In Cedar Rapids, IA in the 70’s & 80’s Because…”
Parents brought their children to watch from business parking lots beginning at 8 p.m., with some undoubtedly reminiscing about the days when they cruised the avenue for fun.
The next event is scheduled for Saturday, May 9, 2020, at 4 p.m.
See more photos from Cruisin’ the Avenue 2020 (© Cindy Hadish/Homegrown Iowan)
I wish I was there I still like crusin first ave I had to work…..nice to see our town coming together
What a great idea!!