Hot rodding and small towns haven't always worked out well. There are plenty of locations throughout the United States where you will find ordinances against cruising, or places where the locals get nervous every time a group of built machines get together in a parking lot. Can the gearhead-minded and the general public get along for a day or two? Can a huge gathering in a small town work out where everybody walks away happy in the end? For the town of Somerset, Kentucky, it seems that the answer is a resounding, "Yes".

Ever since their first show in 2001, the dedicated group of volunteers that compose Somernites Cruise hold seven get-togethers on the fourth Saturday of the month. While each show is open as a general car show, the Somernites Cruise team plan out individual highlights for each event, as well as fun activities to do on Saturday morning before the 12:00 noon opening time of the show. In addition, on the Friday prior to the show there is occasionally a "Rattlesnake Run" cruise and the "Friday Night Thunder" parking lot car show at the Somerset Mall, complete with live music and vendors selling all sorts of tasty ways to satisfy that early evening hunger.

For the month of May, the Somernites program included the "Burnside Meet and Greet" in Burnside, Kentucky on Friday, the 5th Annual "Circle the Wagons" section that invited out vintage station wagons of all types in the show, as well as the Mopar Mania section that featured a Saturday morning get-together at Don Franklin Chrysler, Dodge, Ram and Jeep dealership. Other attendees could opt to take the Fun Run drive out to the Mill Springs grist mill, winding their way around the Cumberland River on Highway 90 before they made their way back to the heart of Somerset for the show.

The show itself is centered on Somerset's Public Square. Starting at 11 a.m., the streets in an area around Main Street between Oak Street to the north and Elm Street to the south are blocked off. Vehicles are parked along curbside, in parking lots, wherever they can be put. And from noon until six in the afternoon, Somerset lives up to their claim as the "Official Car Cruise Capital of Kentucky". For those who simply want to relax, pop out a couple of folding chairs and enjoy the beautiful weather. For those wanting some exercise, roam the fields and look at hundreds, if not thousands of cars that parked up for the show. Looking for a great place to get something to eat? You can stop into local places like the Mole Hole or the Charred Oak Grille, or you can hit up the midway for snacks, as well as trinkets, t-shirts, and if you feel brave, maybe your turn at tossing an ax. Gearheads looking for something to finish their project would be wise to check out the swap meet held behind the Pulaski County Clerk's office just off of Mt. Vernon Street. And for those who aren't big into the static car show scene, roam around Highway 27 from about 4 p.m. onwards to join in the Cruisin' The Strip fun. Roaming up and down the main drag at sunset just seems like the perfect way to wrap up a weekend getaway, doesn't it?