Food, fireworks and (oh yeah) cars make this a premiere family event.

By Dylan SYLVESTER

Since their creation, cars have been headline news. From the sound of a muscle car’s powerful engine to the sleek design of a racer, cars have been known to turn heads. That’s why car fanatics and novices alike will gather at the 23rd Annual Glendale Cruise Night on Saturday from 5:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. This is a free event.

Cars – vintage, classic, hot rods and more – will be lined up  along Brand Boulevard between Milford and Broadway as far as the eye can see. Although Brand is usually lined with cars, on this special evening it won’t be because of heavy traffic.

Visitors to Cruise Night will be taken on an automotive journey from the inception of the “horseless carriage” to the ’50s hot rods and beyond – and that beyond includes some very special futuristic vehicles that will become the classics of the next decade.

Livening up the night with a little music will be some special bands entertaining the audience. Desperado Eagles, a premiere tribute band to the Eagles, will be offering all the best songs played by the ’70s rock band. On Saturday, Desperado will be dedicating their performance to Glenn Frey, founding member of the Eagles, who passed away earlier this year.

Surfin’, which celebrates the music of the Beach Boys, will be playing as well, bringing audiences the experience of being with the Beach Boys live in the ’60s and ‘70s. The band will be celebrating the anniversary of the Beach Boys album, “Pet Sounds,” which was released 50 years ago. This is an album that came to be realized as one of the most influential music albums in history.

Last but not definitely not least, the Surfaris will be bringing their hit song “Wipeout” to the stage and will entertain with their unique style of surf rock that shaped the ’60s and ’70s.

All three bands celebrate the culture of Southern California – sand, surf and sun.

“Glendale Cruise Night is a great community event to get people to the heart of Glendale, to check out the restaurants and stores,” said Patricia Betancourt from Glendale Community Services and Parks. “It is a good summer fun event for the whole family.”

The event is made possible through the generous support of the Glendale City Council, Glendale Economic Development and Glendale Downtown Merchant Association, Betancourt added.

The restaurants along and near Brand Boulevard will be open, as will the retail stores, many that will be offering special Glendale Cruise deals. There will be a youth area that will include some carnival rides and a rock wall, but the real stars of the event are the cars – an expected 400 classic cars and hot rods will reside for a few hours at least along Brand.

Ending the festivities is a spectacular fireworks show located at the main stage at Brand Boulevard and Milford Road. The fireworks are made even more “spectacular” as their light will be reflected off the windows of the high rises lining the boulevard.

Mary O’Keefe contributed to this story.

  DYLAN SYLVESTER