Daily Press file photo Vintage vehicles make their away down Ludington Street during a past Krusin’ Klassics Fun Run. The popular event returns to Escanaba this weekend starting with a parade of vehicles on Ludington Street Friday night.

ESCANABA -- Krusin' Klassics Car Club is ready to host its 36th annual Fun Run and car show this weekend. Vehicle owners and enthusiasts from across the country will gather on June 3 and 4 to show-off their classic rides, with registered vehicles competing against each other for top prizes. The public is welcome to attend and enjoy the event's festivities as well.

"Krusin' Klassics started with just a few people in a parking lot who shared a love for cars," Terrie Belongie, vice president of the Krusin' Klassics Car Club, said. "It grew so fast from that first year in 1985. It just kept growing to now where 600 to 700 cars show up for it."

Founded in 1985, Krusin' Klassics is a non-profit organization rooted in the camaraderie that exists amongst car folk. The organization has also committed itself to giving back to the local community. As the annual Fun Run and car show continues to attract larger crowds, the organization's growing proceeds are distributed amongst local charties and scholarship foundations, like Upper Peninsula Honor Flight and Bay de Noc Community College scholarships, within Delta County.

"Bringing in people and having a successful show so we can spread that wealth out to organizations that need it is so important," Belongie said. "But the Krusin' Klassics Club is just like a family. We have a good time doing this and we are very supportive of each other and the community."

The Fun Run will begin early Friday morning with registration for vehicles opening at 9 a.m. and running until 8 p.m. Vehicles eligible for entry include those from 1997 or older, vintage, antique, or special interest cars and trucks. Registered vehicles will then parade down Ludington St. at 7 p.m. Line-up for vehicles will begin at 6 p.m., the parade starting at Ludington Park and ending at the U.P. State Fairgrounds where the rest of the Fun Run's activities will take place.

"The parade has become quite the draw. People will have tailgate parties and do a lot of different things on Fun Run night for the parade," Belongie said. "Participants are more than welcome to cruise over to Gladstone too. I know the people in Gladstone look forward to seeing some of the cars as well."

As vehicles settle into the fairgrounds around 8 p.m., the annual Fun Run dance and party will begin. Members of the public are welcome to come with a lawn chair and enjoy live music by the "Stone Blue Band" until midnight. All fairground events are covered by the purchase of a $5 button. The button will cover attendees for both Friday and Saturday, with those 12 and under entering for free.

"It is an outside event and we changed to that because of COVID. But a lot of people liked it better out there so we are keeping it that way," Belongie said. "It's just something fun to do that is not real expensive."

The Krusin' Klassics car show and swap meet will begin on Saturday with gates opening at 8 a.m. The day will be spent observing and chatting about the hundreds of vehicles being presented, with contest judges eyeing up the best of the best. A Rhino Dyno will also be at the fairgrounds for interested parties to test their gasoline powered vehicle's horsepower.

The show's award ceremony will begin at 4:30 p.m. in the grandstand.

"We have two best of show awards in the stock and modified categories, and then we have a Chatfield/NAPA pick because they are a major sponsor," Belongie said. "Then we have 15 other picks just from the board of the Krusin' Klassic Club, and they just pick the better of the cars."

Immediately following the ceremony, drawings from the event's ongoing raffle will take place. This year, there are over 23 prizes to be won, with the top prize being a 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air. This vehicle, according to Belongie, has drawn a lot of interest from the local community.

"The car is really popular. We are getting a lot of people that are loving it," Belongie said. "A lot of your 75 to 80 year-old people remember that car really well. They are going back down memory lane with it."

The '57 Bel Air is also the inspiration for this year's Fun Run logo and theme, "Nifty Fifties." The logo, containing an image of the vehicle in front of the Mackinac Bridge, has a special meaning.

"Our raffle car is a '57 Chevy, so our logo this year pictures the Mackinac Bridge because the bridge was opened in '57 as well," Belongie said. "So we thought it would be kind of cool to have the two coincide with each other."

Car show participants will also be entered into a random drawing for a 1992 Corvette. Those interested in winning the Corvette must have a car registered in the Fun Run, which can be done until Saturday at noon. More information about the Krusin' Klassic's Fun Run can be found at krusinklassics.net.

"We have been doing this for so many years that the community looks forward to it, and we are starting to become more known," Belongie said. "[The Fun Run] is all about bring people together and having a good time."