Longtime downtown event changing location

As announced on Cruisin' for MDA's Facebook page (logo above), the event will change its name and its location from downtown Jefferson City to Capital Mall, following tonight's final event.
As announced on Cruisin' for MDA's Facebook page (logo above), the event will change its name and its location from downtown Jefferson City to Capital Mall, following tonight's final event.

A longtime downtown Jefferson City event is moving to a new location.

According to officials with Cruisin' for MDA, tonight will be the group's last cruise downtown to benefit MDA.

On the group's Facebook page, a posting talks about the cruise not shutting down but changing location and format.

"The cruise will no longer be associated with a charity, and the name will change," said Jim Strobel, who organized and started the cruise.

The Capital Mall has decided to host the new Jefferson City Cruise. Strobel said the location will be the same as the Supercruise which was held in the '90s in the parking lot area by Sears.

"We won't have sponsors, t-shirts or vendors at this time," Strobel said. "The mall has been very supportive with the cruise, and I hope that everyone supports the businesses in the mall."

May 25 will be the first cruise at the mall, and Strobel said they will continue cruises on the last Saturday of the month through September.

Internet and Facebook postings earlier in the week indicated the cruise might go away altogether because some downtown business didn't want the city to give cruise organizers a permit because it was taking away customers from their businesses.

Officials with the Jefferson City Police Department, which issue permits for downtown events, said they had had one business make some complaints, but had worked things out with event organizers to make sure things were able to go off for tonight.

Business owners downtown also denied complaining about the cruise. Representatives of the downtown business association did not return phone calls Friday.

In Strobel's post Friday on Facebook, there was nothing mentioned about downtown issues.

"I want to thank everyone for all the good times the last 13 years," he said. "It has been great and now it is time for us to really enjoy the cruises and maybe get to bring my cars out. This has been part of my life, and I have enjoyed each and every night that I have been there."

View photos from past Cruisin' for MDA events posted on Facebook