Every Saturday throughout the year auto enthusiasts know they can count on Old Town to draw several hundred cars out for some fun, but once a year the anniversary of the Saturday Nite Cruise draws an incredible number of classic cars and trucks. The 19th Anniversary took place on June 19th, 2009, and drew 602 registered vehicles 1974 and older. There is no doubt the weather outlook impacted the usual numbers that come out for the Anniversary Cruise, as when we left our house in west Orlando it was raining buckets. However, the rain passed through just north of Old Town in Kissimmee, and it only sprinkled once.

Registration for the Anniversary Cruise opens at an earlier than normal 9:00am, and collectible license plates were scheduled to be given out to the first 800 vehicles - since the final number in attendance usually gets around the 1,000 mark with more favorable weather. With a longer than usual day of festivities two bands took the main stage throughout the day, Steam and Wildlife With Jungle Brass, and both did a good job of keeping the crowd pumped up.

Cruising all the vehicles down through the brick streets that run between the vintage looking buildings has been an Old Town tradition since the beginning, and takes place at 8:30pm every Saturday night. With so many vehicles at the Anniversary cruises that means it lasts about twice as long as usual.....giving even more of an opportunity for spectators to simply line the streets and see literally hundreds of gorgeous classic cars pass right before them. It was another great Anniversary at Old Town, and we were proud and happy to be in attendance.

Old Town celebrates the Anniversary of the Saturday Nite Cruise on the first Saturday of June each year, so it’s easy to keep it in mind when marking your calendar. In the meantime, any Saturday night is a good time to come out for the “regular” weekly action at Old Town. It is always free to cruisers and spectators, and features live bands, 8 randomly selected checkered flag winning participants, 75 specialty shops, several delicious restaurants, carnival style rides, and family fun. There is also a Wednesday night cruise for 1987 and older vehicles (that includes performances by Elvis tribute artist Dwight Icenhower), a night for motorcycles on Thursday, and a Friday Nite Cruise for 1975-87 plus specialty vehicles. For more info about Old Town visit www.old-town.com, call them at 407-396-4888....or better yet, come on out and experience it for yourself firsthand. CN