One of the most spectacular and colorful harbingers of summer in Michigan’s Great Southwest has unceremoniously landed on the growing list of canceled events in our region as news comes this evening from the proud team at Lane Automotive in Watervliet that their long-running, revered Cruise-In and Car Show over the Memorial Day weekend has been called off due to the pandemic.
For more than three decades, the Lane Automotive Car Show has been the official kick-off of summer car fun in Southwest Michigan. Annually attracting more than 1,500 show vehicles and easily topping 12,000 eager spectators, it has become one of the area’s most anticipated events every year. The hugely popular show, involving countless hours of preparation and hundreds of employees, vendors, equipment suppliers, service providers, and municipalities will not happen this year. Preparation always starts immediately following the prior show and continues right up to the next show, so planning has been underway for months.
Lane Automotive’s Director of Marketing Scott Wahlstrom says, “It was with careful consideration that we have made the decision to cancel the 2020 Lane Automotive Cruise-In and Car Show. The ongoing risks created by the COVID-19 pandemic, and the uncertainty of when the danger to everyone’s health and well-being will be lifted, has led us to this difficult, but responsible, decision.”
Wahlstrom and his colleagues says, “We would like to thank everyone, including our employees, suppliers, community, and most of all, our attendees and participants, for their past support and participation. We will provide updates regarding future events on our website and Facebook page.”
