Did you know that the Woodward Dream Cruise actually started as a small fundraiser to raise money for a soccer field in Ferndale, Michigan?

In August 1995, Nelson House and a group of volunteers looked to relive and recreate the nostalgic heydays of the 50s and 60s, when youth, music and Motor City steel roamed Woodward Avenue, America’s first highway. That year, 250,000 people participated—nearly ten times the number expected. The rest, as they say, is history.

Today, the Woodward Dream Cruise is the world’s largest one-day automotive event, drawing 1.5 million people and 40,000 classic cars each year from around the globe—from as far away as New Zealand, Australia, Japan and the former Soviet Union. North American cruisers from California, Georgia, Canada and all points in between caravan to Metro Detroit to participate in what has become, for many, an annual rite of summer.

Taking place on the third Saturday in August and now in its 16th year, the Woodward Dream Cruise is run and governed by WDC, Inc., a volunteer committee that comprises a state-registered non-profit organization with 501(c)(3) status. It consists of a board of directors and officers who represent and coordinate the efforts of the Cruise’s eight host communities.

The Dream Cruise remains a free event due to the support of a range of corporate sponsors.

Nearly 100 area charities benefit from the sale of official Dream Cruise merchandise and refreshments each year.