By Jim Bloch
American car culture in all its roaring, pre-catalytic converter glory is the focus of Hot Wheels Weekend in Marysville each year during the final weekend of August.
The eighth annual Hot Wheels Weekend kicks off Friday evening, Aug. 25 with a cruise of classic cars and hot rods on Gratiot Blvd. in Marysville at 5 p.m. The cruise begins at the Village Green.
At dusk at the Green, organizers unveil their annual drive-in movie. This year’s feature is “The Last American Hero” starring Jeff Bridges as NASCAR great Junior Johnson.
“Really cool 1973 film,” said Christopher Troy, one of the producers of the event.
On Saturday, Aug. 26, hot rods and classics may begin flowing into Marysville Park at 10 a.m. for the car show that opens to the public at noon. Troy is expecting 600 cars in the show.
Ed Stephens, lead singer of the popular local rock band Los Gringos, will perform the national anthem at noon.
The fresh water surf band from Mount Clemens, The Slot Rods, opens the music festivities at 12:15 p.m. in the historic Marysville band shell.
Six bands will perform at Hot Wheels Weekend, including The Surfrajettes.
“This is probably the last event you’ll see in the retro band shell,” said Troy.
The band shell will be demolished after Hot Wheels and new modern band shell erected in its place.
The high-octane rockabilly and roadhouse blues band Horse Cave Trio takes the stage at 1 p.m.
The Miss Hot Wheels Pin Up Contest wriggles into the band shell at 2 p.m. While the judges are tallying up the score of the contestants, Tom Wopat, who played Luke Duke on the TV show “Dukes of Hazard” will sing a couple of songs.
The show ran 147 episodes from 1979-1985, telling the tales of the moonshine-running cousins Luke and Bo Duke.
“Tom will be signing autographs and posing for photos from noon until 5 p.m.,” said Troy.
The show’s signature car, the orange 1969 Dodge Charger known as the General Lee, will also be on hand. Hundreds of Chargers appeared as the Lee throughout the series. This one appeared in Season 1, Episode 3.
Mitch Polzak and the Royal Deuces, the rockabilly band out of San Diego, take over the band shell at 2:45 p.m. Polzak plays guitar and banjo.
Troy is expecting a tour bus full of Polzak fans from Minnesota to attend the set.
The all-women surf band from Toronto, the Surfrajettes, play at their psychedelic surf music at 3:45.
“They’ve really blown up,” said Troy.
The band was the subject of a recent story in Rolling Stone magazine and toured with the Beach Boys in March.
The SoCal-based Big Sandy and His Fly-Rite Boys headline with their western swing and rockabilly music at 4:30 p.m.
“There is no general parking in the park,” said Troy. “All parking is at Marysville High School.”
The school is west of M-29; the park is directly across the street. Dean Transportation, which serves the Marysville School District, the Port Huron Museum Trolley and the Council on Aging shuttle bus will run Hot Wheels fans back and forth all day.
Jim Bloch is a freelance writer based in St. Clair, Michigan. Contact him at bloch.jim@gmail.com.
