Cruise-In makes a comeback

Drew Yost drives his boss' 1966 Chevrolet Corvette around the circle at the Kannapolis Cruise-In. Photo by Andy Mooney, Salisbury Post.

Jimmy Voyles discusses the finer points of his 1966 Ford Mustang Fastback 2+2 at the first Kannapolis Cruie-In of 2010. Photo by Andy Mooney, Salisbury Post.

Jeff Guenther showed his 1967 Plymouth Barracuda fastback at the Cruise-In. A Kannapolis native, Guenther works as an engine assembler for Joe Gibbs' NASCAR team. He spent 10 years restoring his Barracuda. Photo by Andy Mooney, Salisbury Post.

Cars continue to cruise as night falls at the Kannapolis Cruise-In. Photo by Andy Mooney, Salisbury Post.

Larry Easley's orange Chevrolet wagon sits at the Kannapolis Cruise-In. Photo by Andy Mooney, Salisbury Post.

A 427 badge adorns the hood of a Chevrolet Corvette Z06. Photo by Andy Mooney, Salisbury Post.

By Emily Ford

eford@salisburypost.com

KANNAPOLIS — Jimmy Voyles returned to downtown Kannapolis in a classic Mustang, and this time he kept his eye on it.

Voyles was working at Cannon Mills in 1974 when someone stole his '68 Mustang coupe from the textile mill's parking lot.

It was never recovered.

Saturday night, Voyles showed off another Mustang, a vermillion red '66 fastback that he spent two and half years restoring, at the Kannapolis Cruise-In.

"The Cruise-In is great, and the weather ain't bad," said Voyles, a China Grove mechanic whose pride and joy was featured as the August 2007 "Mustang Monthly" centerfold.

With songs like "Mustang Sally" and "409" blaring through loudspeakers and cars cruising the West Avenue loop once known as idiot's circle, hundreds of people filled the village in downtown Kannapolis.

Despite overcast skies and occasional rain, the Cruise-In made a triumphant return after a three-year absence, canceled in 2006 due to construction of the N.C. Research Campus.

"Of all the cruise-ins we go to, this is the best location," said Larry Easley of Concord, standing next to his classic orange Chevrolet sedan.

Cars at the Kannapolis event can actually cruise, Danny Butler said as he watched them going around from his lawn chair.

Visiting Kannapolis for the first time from Buies Creek, N.C., Butler and his wife Wanda ate and shopped downtown.

And they weren't the only ones.

"This is extremely good for business," said Ron Reynolds, owner of Southern Charm. "We've had a huge increase over a regular Saturday. We haven't seen this kind of traffic since the last Cruise-In."

Sam Falls, owner of Falls Jewelers, said he had three to four times as many customers.

"We are tickled to death," said Falls, who sold a $1,400 bracelet earlier in the day.

Even people who just browsed might come back in a few months to celebrate an anniversary by buying jewelry, he said.

Only a handful of merchants remain in the former Cannon Village. Sales plummeted after Pillowtex closed in 2004, the largest layoff in state history.

Some merchants persevered only to become victims of big box stores or the recession.

The shopping district has struggled in the shadow of the Research Campus, a biotechnology complex founded by David Murdock, who owns Dole Food Co. and nearly all of downtown Kannapolis.

Falls said he considered leaving the village but decided to stick it out.

"It might be five or 10 years from now, but this town is going to turn around," he said.

Merchants said they were pleased that campus developer Castle & Cooke North Carolina agreed to let the Cabarrus Events Association resurrect the Cruise-In.

Jose Luna and Liliana Leal brought their two young daughters to the Cruise-In. The couple moved to Kannapolis 10 years ago from Mexico City.

"This is not a part of our culture, but our daughters were born in Rowan County and we try to take the best of the American culture because they have to know their country," Luna said.

Luna, who restored cars for three years at a body shop in Concord, said they enjoyed the family-friendly Cruise-In.

"When I see this kind of event, I say 'This is America.' " he said.

The Cabarrus Events Association will host the Cruise-In the second Saturday of each month from March through November, except May, when the group will offer Village Fest instead.