NILES — On Wednesday, a stream of classic cars from multiple decades could be seen cruising into Riverfront Park and parking right behind Front Street Pizza Pub. Lawn chairs were pulled out, spectators walked around and musical artists like War and Elvis Presley played from speakers.

The event kicked off a cruise-in and car show series to be hosted from 5 to 8 p.m. every Wednesday evening until Aug. 28. A weekly car show is not new to the Niles area, but a new organization now hosts it.

That group, Olde Boy’s Toys Car Club, is not new to the area, either. The nonprofit began in 1987, focused on promoting the appreciation of classic cars and those who own and fix them. After the club stopped meeting, president Ron Gerkey and vice president Don Densburn brought it back.

“It’s just fun,” Densburn said. “Reminisce, look at cars, you know?”

The vice president and Niles native said the group wanted to bring a cruise-in and car show from Niles Charter Township, where it was hosted last year, back into the city. So, the group renewed its nonprofit license, got approval from Niles City Council to host the event at Riverfront Park and started to promote the event.

While anyone can join Olde Boy’s Toys’ group of 20 members for $20 a year, the car shows themselves are free for entrants and spectators alike.

“Anybody can bring in any car they want,” he said. “New or old, it [doesn’t] matter.”

Aside from classic car viewing, spectators can listen to DJs play “oldies” music and play bingo. Entrants are eligible for giveaways.

Wednesday’s car show culminated in a Best in Show award determined and presented by Niles Mayor Nick Shelton. Shelton gave the award to Jared Basker, of South Bend, and his 1969 Pontiac Catalina.

“Because my first car was a Pontiac, and because this story is just too good (and the car is a dime!) I picked the 1969 Pontiac Catalina!” wrote Shelton on his public Facebook page.

The Catalina was allegedly bought for a Studebaker pocket watch and $200 in 1974. After sitting in a garage for about 20 years, its original owner, Leroy Brenneman, gifted the car to Basker, his grandson.

Michiana residents Larry Bergen and Dave Kapica both showed cars at the cruise-in and car show, too. Both showed their Ford Model A’s — Bergen’s was a 1929 model while Kapica’s was a 1930.

Both men parked their cars right next to one another, and despite both models being only a year apart, each looked vastly different from one another.

That is because Kapica’s has a non-Ford body. While Ford created the chassis, or the underside of a motor vehicle, another company bought the frame and installed what is called a “huckster,” or a wooden enclosure made for storage.

Kapica and Bergen both had to fix up their cars when they bought them, but they both said that they loved fixing them.

“To me, that’s the most fun,” Bergen said.

Kapica agreed, but also said he enjoys driving “the snot” out of his Model A.

“My wife and I are empty nesters,” Kapica said. “We were looking for something to do, and, boy, did we find it.”

Both men love showing their cars at shows, too. They intend to continue showing their cars at Olde Boy’s Toys’ weekly events.

The main reason?

“Comradery,” they both said.