Sam Rumbles State Farm Insurance will present the free event, featuring unique and classic cars, food trucks, live music, and voters’ choice awards, in the Harborside Cycle and Sport parking lot behind 119 N. 2nd Ave.

In recent years, some Cars and Coffee morning events were held downtown, but after hearing some feedback, Sam Rumbles, agent/owner, and Jordan Mazzoni, agent/team member, decided that an evening event might be more appealing to participants and attendees.

“A lot of the car guys want to do something in the evening,” Mazzoni said. “We just had gotten feedback that an evening event might just draw a bigger crowd.”

The Truckey Road Experience will be performing “good time rock and roll” at the park next to Red Brick Tap and Barrel on River Street, where food trucks will be available: 808 Bowls, and River Street Vault Bar and Smoothery.

News Photo by Darby Hinkley Jordan Mazzoni, agent/team member, and Sam Rumbles, agent/owner at Sam Rumbles State Farm Insurance in downtown Alpena, hold the trophy the highest vote-getter will win in Saturday’s Drive-In and Dine Car Show. Craig Barton handcrafted the unique trophy.

“The music will be set up where they can hear it over at the car show,” Mazzoni noted. “And then they can walk across, get the food, enjoy the music, walk back to the cars. I think it’s going to be a ton of fun for people.”

Rumbles added they plan to have sidewalk chalk out, and “stuff for all ages to enjoy ” at this family-friendly event.

The car show is open to all unique and classic cars, with no entry fee.

“If you think it’s cool, bring it down and show it off,” Rumbles said.

He said if you have a nice-looking “tricked out” modern vehicle that you think people would like to admire, come on down.

“That’s one of the cool parts about our car show,” Rumbles added.

Show vehicles should enter the Harborside back lot from River Street. Each vehicle will have a number in the window. Voting ballots will be collected at 7:45 p.m. and the winner will be announced at 8 p.m., receiving a trophy custom-made by Craig Barton.

Rumbles opened State Farm downtown in 2019.

“My grandpa (Don) opened Northern Abstract and Title back in the ’60s, and then my dad (Tim) took it over, so I grew up in a downtown business, riding my bike around,” Rumbles recalled.

He went away to college, spent some time in the Detroit area, and decided to come back.

“Right when I got the opportunity to come back, everyone else was, kind of, coming downtown, with the mall closing, so to be a part of the growth, or rebirth of our downtown, that part alone has been awesome,” Rumbles said. “And then, I selfishly like it because I’ve got, like, six amazing restaurants all around, for lunch and dinner. The parking can be a challenge, but that’s really the only negative of this location. But, other than that, I’ll take all the other positives.”

Another Downtown Alpena Drive-In and Dine event will be held from 5 to 8 p.m. on July 29 in the same location. For more information, visit Facebook.com/SamRumblesSF or call 989-356-2524.