Fifth annual ‘That Dam Volkswagen Cruise’ set for August 24

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“That Dam Volkswagen Cruise” is coming back to through North County for the fifth time later this month, raising money for Randall Children’s Hospital along the way. 

The cruise starts one mile north of Prairie Tavern on founder Robert DeWolf’s property at 9 a.m. on Saturday, August 24 and takes drivers along Basket Flat Road and the Heisson Winery until it reaches its the Cougar rest area. From there, the VW’s cruise all the way to Swift Dam. 

“It’s the ‘dam’ cruise because we run up to the Swift Dam,” DeWolf said.

DeWolf is a part of “That Dam Volkswagen Car Club,” a club formed out of the cruise. 

“After the second year we (DeWolf and co-founder Pat Slosson) realized there was quite a few people in the area with Volkswagens,” DeWolf said. “We all have the same love for the same car.”

Evidence of this is the cruise’s continued growth each year. 



“I think the first year I had 30 cars, and last year I was at 80 or 90 cars I believe,” he said.

Tickets for the cruise are $30 and provide entrance to the event, food, beverages and a chance for raffle prizes. Those who register before the day of the event get a cruise T-Shirt, patch and sticker. The food provided is pulled pork and hot dogs as well as a potluck style lunch.

As for the cruise and raffle prizes, DeWolf builds a lot of them out of old Volkswagen parts and accessories. The award for “Best Early Car” is a trophy DeWolf made out of an entire 36 hosepower Volkswagen engine case.

Those that just want to spectate the long line of Volkswagen’s can set up a chair on the slower parts of State Route 503 and watch as many years of VWs cruise by as the cars head up to the Swift Dam and back. 

Other awards include “Mikey’s Choice” and “People Choice” as well as raffle prizes such as gift baskets and birdhouses.