Woodward Dream Cruise parking options in Birmingham, Pontiac, Royal Oak, and Ferndale
PONTIAC, Mich. (FOX 2) - The unofficial holiday of classic cars, automotive evolution, and everything else that might travel on Michigan's most iconic roadway kicks off this weekend.
The Woodward Dream Cruise will officially kick off Aug. 20 from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. - although Oakland County residents should be prepared for a little extra traffic on Woodward Avenue for the second half of the week.
Nine Oakland County communities participate in the rolling car show, some with scheduled events throughout Saturday like the Performance Park Classic Car Show in Royal Oak. Ferndale, the southern-most city on the Woodward Dream Cruise circuit has planned events the day before like the Kids Car Club and the Lights & Sirens Cruise.
The event typically draws tens of thousands of patrons, which means parking can be a bit of a headache.
Woodward Dream Cruise parking
To help navigate the expected congestion, the event is using ParkStash to help guide drivers. The app is intended to help people find and reserve parking offered up by churches, hotels, restaurants, homeowners, and government lots.
A video showing how to use the app to book a parking spot is here.
The cities of Birmingham, Ferndale, Pontiac, and Royal Oak also have downtown parking decks that will be open to the public.
- There are five city-owned parking decks in Birmingham. They include the N. Old Woodward Parking Structure, Park Street Parking Structure, Chester Parking Structure, Pierce Parking Structure, and the Peabody Parking Structure. More here.
- In Ferndale, drivers can use the City Hall Parking Lot and the Library Parking Lot. Learn more here.
- In Pontiac, there are lots available on 17 West Huron, 34 W Lawrence Street, and 10 Water Street. More info can be found here.
- In Royal Oak, there's parking options include structures on South Center Street, 11 Mile Road, South Lafaette Avenue at West 6th Street and at West 4th Street. There are also surface parking lots that include the Sherman Street lot on 286 S Washington Avenue and Lot P7 on Main Street. Find more info here.
Woodward Dream Cruise events
The official cruise will go 12 hours on Saturday, beginning at 9 a.m. and ending at 9 p.m., however there are events going on the day before as well. Here's what to expect:
In Birmingham:
- CruiseFest Classic Car Parade from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Aug. 19.
In Ferndale:
- Ferndale Emergency Vehicle Show from 1 p.m. to 7 on Aug. 19
- Kids Car Club from 1 p.m. to 7. on Aug. 19
- Official Woodward Dream Cruise Ribbon Cutting ceremony at 5 p.m. on Aug. 19
- Lights & Sirens Cruise at 5:30 p.m. on Aug. 19
- A Storyland of Floats from 1 p.m. to 8 on Aug. 19
- Rock'n Live Entertainment Stage from 1 p.m. to 9:30 on Aug. 19
- Mustang Alley from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Aug. 20
In Royal Oak:
- Performance Park Classic Car Show from 12 p.m. to 7 (8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Aug. 20)
- Cruise in Shoes 5k Run & Walk from 8 a.m. to 9:30 (on Aug. 20)
In Pleasant Ridge:
- Ford Bronco Show from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Aug. 20