Stock's Cruise-In Acts as a Blast From the Past for Car Enthusiasts

Residents had the chance to eat ice cream, listen to music, and look at cars over the weekend, thanks to a summer tradition.

Stock's Dairy Delight held its annual Cruise-In Saturday, June 24, from 4 p.m. until 9 p.m., which allowed locals and participants from far away to show off their favorite vehicles to attendees.

A few dozen cars were brought throughout the event, ranging in decades, color, and models. Unlike other similar car shows, the cruise-in was not a competition, meaning anyone was able to park their car and talk about it to the public.

Though she could not remember the particular year they began hosting the event, founder Pam Stock said it had been roughly 20 years. There was no special reason behind the idea.

"I just wanted to find another way to bring people together," she said. "It always ends up doing well, both with the participants and anyone else who stops by."

Those who brought cars told stories about how they acquired their vehicles and why they worked on restoring them back to their original state. For many, their love of cars has been a lifelong interest.

"I used to work on cars out of school and have always had fun doing it," said Bob Kerry of Saxton, who came with his wife Nancy. "We try to go to as many car shows as we can. It's always a great time."

Both of the cars that the Kerrys brought had a special meaning to them. The 1970 Chevelle is the same year that Bob graduated, while their 1971 Volkswagen Super Beetle was a replica of the first car Nancy owned.

"I loved that car and had it until it got stolen," she said. "So I am glad we were able to get one to work on."

Bob said that restoring cars took plenty of time and money but found it worth the effort.

"You have to think, these cars are over 50 years old," he said. "If you want them to look pristine, you have to totally redo them. It takes a lot of hours and money, but they can also bring you back money, too."

Jim Yuhnkey of Altoona brought his 1978 Chevrolet Monza station wagon. What made the Monza special for him was that it had a V8 engine.

"Most of them have four bangers," he said. "I traded a Chevrolet Cosworth Vega for it."

Growing up in Detriot during the "muscle car era," Yuhnkey said he loved coming to car shows for all the stories and seeing rare cars. Like Kerry, he said keeping cars in their condition was a lot of work.

"You can't abuse them," he said. "They can rust out if you aren't careful. Back in Detroit, they put salt on the roads, and that killed a lot of cars"

One of the oldest cars brought to Stock's during the event was a 1932 Ford Highboy brought by Jeff Thompson of Roaring Spring. It was a project that he and his father, Terry, worked on together.

"It is the car he always wanted to have, so I went with him to get it," he said.

Though a fiberglass version and not an original, there was still a lot of love put into caring for it.

"My dad likes to take the time to clean it up a bit, and I do, too," Thompson said. "We always worked on our own cars. I grew up going to car shows, so it's nice to participate now, as well."

One common factor among everyone was that they enjoyed hearing from other enthusiasts, making it a big reason why they chose to come to the cruise-in and other car shows.

"I've been going to these for over 50 years, and the people are always excited to talk," said Ken Wills of Ashville, who brought three different cars he built. "All you have to do is walk up to them, say something about their car, and they will talk."

"I've made friends coming to these events over the years," Yuhnkey said. "And there are so many backstories that you get to hear."

While the cruise-in went on, all attendees could eat ice cream but also had the chance to get dinner. Along with its regular menu, Stock's Dairy Delight offered an extended menu. To make the entire night feel like a time capsule, Dennis Shoemaker provided music from the 1950s and 1960s.

Even though she does not restore older cars herself, Pam said she loved having the event every year.

"There are always new people coming, and it is amazing to see their passion," she said. "People really love those old cars. A lot of them were part of my generation, too."

Just like the participants, she said she was happy to have people as interested as they were in coming out.

"We are always grateful to our customers and community for supporting us," she said. "Especially when we do events like this. It always turns out to be a fun time, and we will surely continue to do it next year."