Morton Avenue Misfits Fall Cruise Night scheduled for September 21
By Kyla Hurt
Photos by Cory Garner, Ryan Mason, Joel Buchanan and Steve Chambers
Get your engines running — again! The Morton Avenue Misfits Fall Cruise Night will take place on Saturday, September 21. This four decade-old event is broken into two parts: the car show portion is from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Community Park, and the cruise portion from 5 to 9 p.m. along Morton Avenue (with headquarters at Hardee’s).
Morton Avenue Misfits, the group behind the local car shows, started in 2020 as a new group from the Jacksonville Cruise Night Association. Current members of the Morton Avenue Misfits include Joel Buchanan, Mike McKean, Ryan Mason, Richard Lyons and Rick Carie. It is this small group of five who are involved; however, they give much credit to work done by their wives, friends and other volunteers.
Buchanan and McKean have been involved with cruise night in general since 2007 and 2014, respectively.
This year marks the 40th year for the Misfits’ Jacksonville Fall Cruise Night. The group’s advertisements playfully read, “Come celebrate the 40th anniversary of the original — that’s become a classic! Lordy, Lordy, Cruise Night’s Forty!”
To commemorate the anniversary, a special logo was made for the 2024 cruise nights. Graphic artist Chris Simshauser, a friend of Buchanan’s who has done logos for Morton Avenue Misfits for several years, designed the 40th anniversary logo. It has road imagery to show the path from the original cruise to modern day. The road starts at C.R.’s Drive-In and ends at Hardee’s. Additionally, specific vehicles are designed on the logo.
It features Gebhardt Pro Cars’ Beretta near the C.R.’s sign as well as a 1933 Ford 5-window coupe that is now owned by Luke and Amy Tapscott, but was originally owned by Carl and Ruthie Coultas (the “C” and “R” in C.R.’s). Then, closer to the Hardee’s graphic, there is artwork representing last summer’s “Best in Show,” a green Mustang owned by Clyde and Catherine Dunphy. There is also a representation of the Ford Fairlane belonging to Jason and Krystin Hill, one of the title sponsors of the 40th anniversary cruise.
The fall cruise night on Sept. 21 will offer up some changes. Buchanan says, “We’re bringing back live music for cruise night that evening [set up at Hardee’s] and then we’re trying to bring in a lot more specialty vendors and then there’s going to be a lot more to do than in normal years. The kids’ hot wheels drag racing is going to continue … we’re working on some other stuff that I hope to have there, just more special events and special vendors.”
There will also be a customized golf cart raffle. The golf cart full customization includes a lift kit, wheels, tires, custom paint, custom upholstery, stereo, lights and a rear seat conversion. The street legal golf cart was debuted at the June 8 summer show downtown; however, the drawing itself will be held at the September 21 40th anniversary show.
McKean and Buchanan note that people come from surrounding states to take part in both of the shows — each has been taking place long enough that they’re on people’s radar.
The event will feature food vendors of various types … and, of course, the vehicles. There is everything from stock, modified, street rods and muscle cars to trucks stock, trucks modified, pedal cars and specialty class cars.
Notedly, each of the Morton Avenue Misfits’ committee members have some sort of vehicle themselves — after all, they’re “car guys.”
McKean says, “I’ve gone to cruise night since I was a kid and I really like that we’re able to continue it. It’s a lot of fun and you get to see all the new stuff coming out.”
Also per McKean, “For the September show, we usually get about 200ish [vehicles registered], give or take a little bit. We draw a little more there because it’s a free show and there’s a lot that only go to free shows.”
The t-shirts featuring the 40th anniversary logo are for sale at the event as well. They will also have merchandise such as key chains and decals, for example. Contact “Morton Ave Misfits” on Facebook to buy early or with questions.
Buchanan finishes, “I take a lot of pride in keeping the event alive as long as it has been, because we have faced difficulties over the years with participants and worries of safety and security of participants and spectators. And, of course the COVID years were difficult for everybody in every facet, and it wasn’t any different for car show hosts like we are. So, to keep the event interesting and alive and well attended, well, I take a lot of pride in that. And I’m just a car guy … I love cars … seeing ‘em, looking about ‘em, talking about ‘em, working on them (most of the time). So, yes, I’m happy to have played a role in getting it to this point. … I look forward to it continuing on to the 50th and on. Maybe my son can even get involved at some point.”
Both wish to “extend a feeling of appreciation to the community, the participants, the spectators, the sponsors, the volunteers … everybody who has helped this along for 40 years — without them, it wouldn’t be possible.”
Otherwise, come and join them. Pray to Mother Nature that she cooperates. Enjoy some vehicles. They also encourage people to bring memorabilia from earlier years for display.
