Windsor’s annual Ouellette Car Cruise gears up for Friday

The Ouellette Car Cruise is quickly approaching, allowing local car lovers to gather for an auto show.

It’s a summer-time tradition that car lovers in the city of Windsor circle on their calendars – the annual Ouellette Car Cruise is back for 2025!

The summer tradition takes place on Friday, Aug. 15 at 1 p.m., with the rendezvous of a myriad of vintage machines in all their glory at Riverfront Festival Plaza.

At 6 p.m., the engines are started, and the cruise begins. The three-hour tour ends at 9 p.m. that evening.

The event builds on the nostalgia of Windsor’s storied automotive history and seeks to engage car enthusiasts, hobbyists, and the community at-large in celebration of our longstanding automotive roots.

Jim Crichton, retired CTV News Windsor anchor, is a car enthusiast and owner of classic cars who has participated in the cruise for several years.

“People who have classics like to drive them, but a lot of people don’t have the time or the resources,” said Crichton. “And with the weather we’ve had lately, they don’t want to be out in a classic car without air conditioning on a 95 Fahrenheit day with a humidex – we understand that very well. So, these cars may come out for that cruise and then be put away till the next cruise night.”

The route takes cruisers on a tour of the city from Ouellette Avenue to Tecumseh Road East and from Riverside Drive to Pillette Road.