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Nostalgic pastime returns, uniting the generations
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The Gainesville Cruisers held their first ever reunion at Lakeshore Mall to recall bygone days of classic cars and cruising the city. Many who cruised the old West Bypass in town returned to the scene with their children. - photo by Scott Rogers | The Times
Gainesville’s young and old took a cruise down memory lane Saturday night for the first ever Gainesville cruisers reunion.What started as a lingering idea in the mind of event organizer Nick James eventually turned into reality. And James wasn’t the only one who thought cruising down the west bypass like old times was long overdo.After creating a Facebook page two months ago to determine the interest in a reunion, close to 3,000 former cruisers had joined in support of reuniting on their old stomping grounds.James, a cruiser from 1984 to 1991, knew it was time to bring back together those with a common interest in cars, cruising and a good time.“Gainesville needed a shot of life, and what better way than revive our cruising culture,” he said. “It will be great to see the streets full of people having fun again.”Cruising history in Gainesville dates back to the 1950s and continued as a hobby for many Gainesville residents until the 1990s.