Organizers Move Route 66 Cruise Night in Pacific

Organizers are putting the finishing touches on the 10th annual cruise night, which will take place Saturday, June 9.

The popular summer event is being revamped to increase the number of visitors and make it easier for them to navigate the exhibits and booths.

Volunteers are needed to help with tickets, traffic and parking.

Representing the Pacific Partnership, which sponsors the event, Ron Sansone said the biggest change was moving the downtown event to June 9, two months earlier than the August date for previous shows.

The 2012 event is being billed as the Route 66 Cruise Night, tying it to organizations that promote the historic roadway.

There will be no barbecue this year, taking the event back to basics, according to Sansone.

“Cruise Night has been very successful before and we think it will be very successful this year,” Sansone said. “We have already given out more than 5,000 fliers.”

Registration for cars begins at 11 a.m. on West Union Street. Entry fee is $10 per car. Dash plaques will be given to the first 300 cars.

All registered entries will be included in a drawing for cash prizes of $300 first, $200 second and $100 third. The drawing will be held at 6 p.m. Entrants must be present to win.

“We think the cash prizes will keep the cars here,” said Bob Bober, event co-chair. “Don Flier Motors donated money for prizes.”

Bober said the Cruise Night would be promoted in the same way the successful model railroad show was promoted.

“We already have the event on seven websites and have a list of all car clubs in Missouri and Illinois. We will visit 10 car shows and give out more fliers,” Bober said. “We will have distributed 16,000 fliers by then.”

The event will conclude at 10 p.m.