Ontario’s Route 66 Reunion Cruising

Many people love looking at cars and engines, and many just look at cars for how old or how amazing they look. Whatever the reason might be, many people flocked to Ontario from Sept. 16-18, 2015 for the Route 66 Reunion Cruising.

The Reunion is a nonprofit organization run event was created to improve the city, business and show off sweet cars. It allows for three days of someone displaying their rides out on the streets. In the beginning, the cars go to their places. Then, towards the end, the cars cruise up and down the closed of part of Euclid, about B street to G street. According to Ontario Mayor pro Tem Debra Dorst-Porada, over 1,200 cars showed up this year. That is about 450 cars more than last year.

This year’s firefighter challenge was held at the car show. This not only brought not people from around to see, but this also brought media attention from channels 5 and 9. The media coverage showed people some of the best of Ontario “…would bring business to the restaurants and hotels,” said Debra Dorst-Porada.

Dorst-Porada also explained that this year, the hotels were packed and full. She said that had she sent a survey team out and that 20% of the actual attendance were from out of the city. In fact, the 20% were from out of state. The people who help everybody with finding their way around Ontario are nonprofit groups.

“Who better than those groups to show everybody around?” said Dorst-Porada.

The people who run the show are a nonprofit group. They pay a lot of money for the police and private security, which is covered in car tax, vendor tax, etc. The private security and police were $20,000 each. There were also bands who were a Saturday night attraction and bands who are famous for their music in the popular TV show “Counting Cars.”

The fee, for the Reunion to pay, was $50 a car. There is also fee for vendors.

This event also creates work and jobs in landscaping for the parks, hotel workers, restaurants, and even the possibility of new businesses. The gas stations also experienced high sales, not only from visitors but also the people who come to show off their sweet rides.

The car show is planning of expanding to suit more vendors and people. Dorst-Porada confirmed that the Reunion needs expansion but they haven’t worked out the kinks in the plans. So far, she explained how they are planning having expanding the Reunion on to side streets, but they’re not sure yet due the streets being too tight.