Minnesota Prairie Roots

Closing in on downtown, only blocks from Central Avenue, at the end of the car cruise route.

AS I WATCHED AND PHOTOGRAPHED the June 19 Faribault Car Cruise Night, I considered not only the stories I would tell with my photos, but the stories of those participating in this monthly summer event.

What’s the story behind the TOOTIE license plate on this Ford Fairlane?

And where was this young boy riding prior to the cruise?

What stories have been written, and shared, in this 1956 Chevy station wagon?

What prompted them to join the cruise? What would they see? How would they feel? What memories would they take away from this leisurely Friday evening drive around Faribault area lakes and back into town? Will they, years from now, talk about the summer of 2020 and how, even in the midst of a global pandemic, they went on a car cruise?

What’s the story behind this vintage Pontiac owned by Sharon and Tom?

The back of that beautiful Pontiac.

Life is one long story. With many chapters. And editing along the way. Sometimes by us, sometimes by those who think they can edit our lives or rewrite our stories. They can’t. They are not us. Our stories are ours.

Part of Faribault’s “American Stories” campaign.

“Making American Stories” is among a handful of marketing slogans selected by local tourism folks to promote Faribault. That theme, along with crafting, experiencing, shaping and preserving American stories, is bannered on signs posted throughout my community. I like this campaign. It’s clear, meaningful, uncomplicated and fitting. It defines community strengths—from history to home-grown businesses to things to do.

What’s the story behind “The Rock” shirt?

What leads someone to own a vintage car like this Buick Electra?

What prompts someone to get all creative and build a rat rod?

What’s the full story behind this tattoo?

Where did the owners find this vintage Chrysler convertible and what’s its history?

And on summer evenings in to early autumn, one of those local once-a-month activities is Faribault Car Cruise Night. It brings together the past and the present. Links vintage vehicles and new. Seniors and kids. Car collectors and, new this year, Harley riders.

What’s the story behind the ATV?

Wonder what stories this Pontiac GTO convertible could tell?

So many American stories in the making during the June 19 Faribault Car Cruise Night.

Switched from a Central Avenue-based park-and-look event, this actual driving cruise has added a new dimension in the making of this American story. I wonder about the stories. Those already written. And those being written.

This concludes my three-part photo series on the June 19 Faribault Car Cruise Night.

© Copyright 2020 Audrey Kletscher Helbling