About 30 vintage, muscle and classic cars rumbled into the Crystal Palace grounds on a sun-soaked Thursday evening earlier this month to open the season.

Picton Cruise Night is a gathering of local automotive fans- new and old, four wheels or two- where you just never know what might show up on any given Thursday evening. As show organizer JR McConnell  explained, classic and late-model cars, trucks, tractors and motorcycles are all eligible to stop in between 4-7 p.m. every Thursday night.

“Everybody is always welcome,” McConnell told the Gazette. “We have hot dogs and drinks, you can bring a lawn chair and just enjoy the evening- even if you don’t have a classic car, these guys really enjoy speaking to spectators about their car or truck.”

“If you’re proud of it, bring it,” added Tim Cole, a Cruise Night regular with his 1966 Chrysler Windsor. At the season opener May 11, a 1934 Cadillac was the oldest vintage vehicle on display.

It’s not uncommon to see a number of Great Depression-era motor vehicles lined up alongside one another. The show features around 60 vehicles on an average Thursday night at the height of the summer.

McConnell noted the weekly event couldn’t happen without sponsors Giant Tiger, Angry Birds, Carquest, and BSST Auto Car, among others. Exhibitors come from as far away as Stirling and Napanee to take part, and, occasionally, vehicles and their owners from as far away as Oshawa.

At its peak, Picton Cruise Night will see upwards of 120 cars. That is during the week of the Picton Fair, which is Sept 7-10 this year. Expect another large gathering Sept. 21st, when Freddy Vette stops buy to play his brand of 50’s and 60’s rock.