PILOT MOUNTAIN — Downtown Pilot Mountain hosted its final “Hot Nights and Hot Cars” cruise-in of the year Saturday with an event that reflected the growth and excitement of the entire summer series.

With numerous out-of-town cruisers coming in on Friday night for the weekend, the downtown area was again filled by early Saturday afternoon. But while impressive, it appeared that the huge crowd would fall well short of recent record turn-outs. As the evening wore on, however, droves of cars continued to come into town as the streets and especially the bandstand area became packed with people.

“There were some other shows and events in the area,“ explained representative Jerry Venable of the sponsoring Mount Pilot Now organization, “but after people were leaving them, they were coming to Pilot Mountain. By 6, the town was full and people were still coming. It was phenomenal and the Fantastic Shakers closed out the summer for us in an amazingly positive way.”

Venable estimated that some 10,000 or more people attended the event at some point along with in excess of 1,000 cars.

“We’re still continuing to see new cars and to draw new people from farther away,” Venable noted. “We talked to several who said they were here for the first time. They were telling us that they’d heard about this great event and they wanted to come here and experience it for themselves. And they said it was everything they’d been told.”

In a new feature, cruisers were also invited to sign up for a Sunday mountain cruise into the mountains of Virginia. The event was organized by Benny Huff as a season-ending treat for cruisers. A string of more than 40 participants left Pilot Mountain Sunday morning on their way to Galax, Va. The classic vehicles then made their way to Meadows of Dan and on to Stuart for a lunch provided by Titans of Taste. The leisurely drive lasted for almost five hours.

“It’s a lot of fun,” Huff said, “and it was something that encouraged people to stay overnight and that had to help our merchants.”

“It was a really good time and a good way to wrap up the summer,” Venable added. “This entire weekend gave us something that we can build on next year.”

The weekend provided another boost at the end of a summer marked by steadily growing cruise-in crowds. Most local merchants were quick to take advantage of this influx of people, with many staying open extra hours and offering promotions and prizes.

“They (cruise-ins) have definitely helped me,” Traditional Shop owner Gloria Shelton said of her downtown ladies’ apparel store. “I’ve been staying open for them and this summer the crowds have gotten bigger and more people are coming in and buying. I hope it will continue. They bring a lot to Pilot Mountain.”

“It has been very positive for us,” agreed Chelli Bruner of Chelli and Associates. While not primarily a retail business, the Main Street advertising agency has taken part in the events by opening its doors with T-shirt sales and to meet and greet potential customers.

“We’ve had walk-in (business) from Lenoir, Wilkesboro, Asheville, Myrtle Beach and the outer banks,” Bruner noted. “We’ve been able to connect with a medical center, a non-profit and a landscaping business.

“I think it’s building,” she continued. “We have people coming in from several states and it’s great for tourism. It brings in revenue as we’re able to share our small town feel with others.”

Venable estimated that the six events held this summer drew close to 50,000 people to Pilot Mountain, with a total economic impact of close to $500,000. He said that in T-shirt and 50/50 ticket sales, the Mount Pilot Now group has taken in some $20,000. Those funds, he noted, will be invested back into the town as needed, including future cruise-in events.

“This is having a strong economic impact,” Venable said. “We’ve had so many people who’ve never been here before come in, have a good time and spend their money with us. This has brought in a lot of good people who, two or three years ago, didn’t know we were here.”