25th annual Cruise Night in Ottawa will be a family affair

What started out as a sparsely disorganized, sparsely participated, sparsely attended event on a cold and rainy October night 25 years ago has grown into one of biggest and best events of its kind in the Illinois Valley.

The 25th annual Cruise Night, presented by the La Salle County Cruisers and sponsored by the Ottawa Special Events Group, will take place Friday in downtown Ottawa and it promised to be just as big, just as diverse and just as entertaining as its predecessors.

“We learned a lot that first year,” event coordinator Mike Dougherty said. “We came back the next year a little better, then a little better and now 25 years later we’re still doing it and we’re still learning … We average around 300 or so participants each year and we’re expected that on Friday. It’s going to be a lot of fun.”

The proceeds from the event this year will be entirely donated to Court Appointed Special Advocates.

On Friday, participants should look for lime green circles with directional arrows on them pointing to the registration lanes, taking them down Paul Street to Jackson Street, just past Columbus Street.

That registration, payment of a $10 registration fee, receiving dash plaques and goodie bags for the first 300 vehicles and early staging will begin at 3:15 p.m. Groups wanting their cars to be parked together should come in together.

The parking of cars on La Salle Street should begin about 5:15 p.m.

The judging of the cars will begin at 7 p.m., done by Ottawa Mayor Robb Hasty, Commissioners Wayne Eichelkraut, Thomas Ganiere, Marla Pearson and Brent Barron, Police Chief Brent Roalson, Fire Chief Brian Bressner and a Cruisers club member.

“We’re looking forward to it, to good weather and to a lot of people coming out to take part.”

—  Mike Dougherty, event coordinator

That yields the high point of the event: The awards will be announced at 9 p.m. The winner of the 50/50 drawing also will be named then.

Of special note for all participants, at exactly 8 p.m., there will be a one-minute “Rev The Engines” to honor the late Joe VeZain, a club member and car enthusiast who died last summer.

“Joe was a great guy,” Dougherty said. “We called him ‘The Go-To Guy’ because he was always willing to help and always had the right tool to solve any problem.”

But throughout, there will be enough family-friendly attractions to please all.

Specialty vehicles, which will be parked in front of Roxy Cinemas, 827 La Salle St., should include the Batmobile, a car from the “Starsky and Hutch” TV show and “The Mullet Machine,” one participant’s version of the Scooby-Doo cartoon’s “Mystery Machine” van.

Also on hand will be a stretch pedal bike turned electric cruiser created by Brett Noonan, an award-winning Harley Davidson custom motorcycle owned by Dean Weiss of Ottawa, and a dragster owned by Jay Allen of Ottawa.

Near the intersection of Madison and La Salle streets, there will be T-shirts and 50/50 drawing tickets available, food vendors and sponsors tents. Among the non-profit sponsors of the event are Ottawa River Rescue Squad, Illinois Valley Public Action to Deliver Shelter, A Servant’s Heart, the Naplate Fire Department and the Boy Scouts

Hot Wheels cars will be randomly given away to children along La Salle Street throughout the evening.

Dave Palmer with 3-D Sound will provide the music from three vans with speakers mounted on top, parked strategically in the downtown area so all can hear.

“We’re looking forward to it,” Dougherty said, “to good weather and to a lot of people coming out to take part.”