Helsinki Cruising Night

Helsinki Cruising Night was never invented - it just happened! In 1982 american car enthusiasts (or rodders like they are called in Finland) decided to meet at "Union" service station in Pirkkolankatu every months first friday night (at summer time of course). In the beginning those happenings was just "inside meetings" for some ten cars. But nobody couldn't even dream in 1982 what kind of happening Helsinki Cruising Night is today. Now almost every person living in Helsinki knows that first friday of month during summer time is THAT night of American cars.

One of the biggest reason for growth of Cruising Night is local radio station Radio City (FM 96.2). In 1985 Radio City started a radio program called "Cruising Show" (sponsored by V8 Magazine). In the beginning it was just a radio program where the DJs were playing background music for this happening. Nowadays "Cruising show" is the biggest regular radio program of Radio City and is now important part of Cruising Night.

Because of growing publicity the Helsinki Cruising Night is now quite a big happening. There's a lot of attraction in old American cars! Already in the early evening people are starting to gather to the Helsinki Ice Hall parking place. When the sun gets down there's so many people on the parking place that they are makin a "lane of honour" and cars are running very slowly along that lane. At 10 PM the parking place is already so jammed that there are hundreds of meters queues on the streets near Ice Hall. Helsinki Ice Hall parking place is the place to show oneself and to introduce american cars (there's Classics, Kustoms, Kemps, Rods and Street Racers - something for everybody). Of course there's much of those who just cruise around Helsinki City and also those who have their own inside meetings in some part of Helsinki during Cruising Night. "Ursula parking place" in Kaivopuisto is also very popular place to meet during Cruising Night and latest good place for meeting is Hamburger Heaven.

Helsinki Cruising Night has something for every American car enthusiast. What could be more atmospheric than cruising with an old American car (especially with a Cadillac!) in light and warm summer night with many people who like same things than you do, meet friends, listen to good old rock'n'roll and feel the real nostalgia. Helsinki Cruising Night is still getting stronger!
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