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Forecast a concern for Maple City Cruise officials

The National Weather Service says there is a chance for showers and thunderstorms Friday and that has Cruise Night in the Maple City officials a bit concerned about event attendance.

The free car show is scheduled to officially start this Friday at 6 p.m. on the Monmouth city square, where car enthusiasts are expected to come from as far as Alabama to show off their muscle cars, trucks and classic rides. 

Attendance is concern because the event annually sees more than 25,000 visitors and around 1,400 automobiles. Organizer Kenny Tatman tells WGIL he’s hoping skies stay clear.

“We’ve never been rained out in all the years of doing it,” Tatman says. “We got rained on one time, and that was just a short shower.”

Despite weather concerns, Tatman says this has been the biggest year for pre-registration. As of Tuesday, about 70 had signed up, though most register the day of the event, Tatman says. 

Plenty of old favorites will be back this year like t-shirts, dash plaques and on the entertainment side live music by band Eternity Road. 

Tatman says a rare car will make an appearance as well.

“Car guys know about the ‘COPO cars’ or the Fred Gibb Chevrolet cars from LaHarpe,” Tatman says. “There’s a ’68 COPO Nova–number three made that’s going to be here for the first time.”

The Chevy Camaro will also be honored as it turns 50 this year. Monmouth’s event is one of three taking place in conjunction with events in Macomb and LaHarpe.

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