LAST YEAR’S Battle Ground Harvest Nights Car Cruise attracted more than 450 registrants who cruised up and down Main Street during the second annual event. This year, event organizers are expecting even more registrants. Photo courtesy of Mark Anthony Gonzales, The Way iVision It Photography
COMMUNITY MEMBERS and families enjoyed cruising up and down Main Street during last year’s Battle Ground Harvest Nights Car Cruise. This year’s cruise is expected to attract close to 500 participants. Photo courtesy of Chris Bauer
Last year, the annual Battle Ground Harvest Nights Car Cruise, held as a part of the Harvest Days Celebration in Battle Ground, attracted more than 450 participants and their vehicles, and raised enough money for the cruise committee to be able to present $2,000 to both the North County Community Food Bank and the Battle Ground Veterans Memorial Project.
This year’s Car Cruise, which will be held the evening of Fri., July 18, could see an even bigger turnout.
“We anticipate even more registrants this year,” said Amy Price, one of the Harvest Days event organizers. “We are capping it at 500 for pre-registration. The crowds will be insane.”
Presented by Wrench Works and the Battle Ground Chamber of Commerce, the third annual Harvest Nights Car Cruise will help get this year’s Harvest Days festivities going on Fri., July 18, from 7-11 p.m., on Main Street. At about 6 p.m., event organizers will begin closing off Main Street from 5th Avenue to Parkway Avenue (Parkway Avenue to Grace Avenue will also already be closed off for Harvest Days events). The cruise route will go from the McDonald’s intersection through Old Town Battle Ground to Grace Avenue, looping back around via 1st Street.
Registration/staging will open at 5 p.m. at Battle Ground High School, 300 W. Main St. Registration is currently open online at www.harvestnightscarcruise.com. The registration fee is $15 if pre-registration is done online, or register the day of the event for $20. Registration online will remain open until Wed., July 16, and there will be plenty of signage to direct people to the correct registration location the day of the event. Registration will be capped at 500.
From 7-11 p.m., Car Cruise participants will cruise onto Main Street and will be “tuning to the cruise” at 99.9 FM provided by Flashback Entertainment. The Fabulous Farelanes will be the spotlight entertainment from 9-11 p.m. on the Battle Ground NAPA music stage.
Parking along Main Street is encouraged for all cruise participants, registrants should feel free to park on all sides of the cruise route after 7 p.m. The Burn-Out Pit will also return to this year’s Car Cruise, and participants will get a chance to burn some rubber in the Urban Basics parking lot. Price and Cody Gray, another event organizer, said the owners of Urban Basics are completely giving their entire storefront a makeover just for the Harvest Days events and Car Cruise.
Several different groups have confirmed that they will participate in the Harvest Nights Cruise, including Battle Ground Classic Cruizers, The Pharaohs Street Rodders, the Columbia River Camaro Club, Kyron Horman’s group and others.
Also on Friday evening, several different businesses in Old Town Battle Ground will stay open late for customers who are attending the Car Cruise.
Diane Harris, owner of Old Town Battle Grounds, said that the past two years during the Harvest Nights Cruise they have served sandwiches, beer and wine in their front yard. This year, she said they will extend their late-night hours for the Saturday festivities as well and will stay open until 10 p.m. on both Friday and Saturday.
Keno Leighty, marketing/promotional director for South Pacific Cafe & Lounge, said they will use their parking lot again this year to host a huge cruise night party. The party will include a beer garden and food. Last year, Leighty said they had about 200 people attend.
According to organizers of the Harvest Nights Car Cruise, the cruise was created for three reasons. First, they wanted to bring the “heart” back to the Battle Ground community by providing a fun, family-oriented atmosphere to Harvest Days; second, they wanted to help support the area businesses and give them an opportunity to promote their business and prosper; third, they wanted to pick area charities within the North Clark County community to benefit from the event.
This year, two different groups will benefit from the money raised during the Car Cruise – the North County Community Food Bank and the City of Battle Ground First Responders.
Price said the Car Cruise event wouldn’t be possible without the volunteer hours put in by numerous City of Battle Ground staff, as well as help from the Clark County Sheriff’s Reserve. She said they are always looking for more volunteers to help with the event.
Although Wrench Works is the presented sponsor for this year’s event, Price said more than 30 sponsors are helping to make the Car Cruise event possible.
“It’s great seeing all of the car-related shops coming together to support this event,” Price said.
For additional information on the Battle Ground Harvest Nights Car Cruise, visit www.harvestnightscarcruise.com or visit their Facebook page, Battle Ground Harvest Nights Car Cruise.
BG Harvest Nights Car Cruise
When: Fri., July 18, 7-11 p.m.
Where: Along Main Street from 5th Avenue to Grace Avenue
Registration: Register online at www.harvestnightscarcruise.com, registration closes July 16
Cost: $15 to pre-register online, $20 for registration day of the event
More information: Visit www.harvestnightscarcruise.com or visit Facebook page, Battle Ground Harvest Nights Car Cruise
