Staff photo by Clay Schuldt The last Classic Car Hop and Shop Cruise-In of 2017 was Thursday on downtown Minnesota Street. One of the standout vehicles was New Ulm’s 1919 fire truck.

NEW ULM — The last Classic Car Hop and Shop Cruise-In of 2017 was Thursday on downtown Minnesota Street. Since May, the New Ulm Area Chamber of Commerce has hosted the cruise-in on the second Thursday of the month.

Vehicles from nearly every decade since the invention of the automobile were displayed from 1st South Street to 3rd North Street.

One of the standout vehicles this last cruise-in was New Ulm’s 1919 fire truck. Former New Ulm fire chief Jerry Plagge said this fire truck was the first motorized vehicle in New Ulm’s fleet. Years ago, the vehicle was sold by the city and it ended up in a museum collection in Rushford. In the 1980s the New Ulm Fire Department was able to purchase the truck back at an auction. Repairs were done to the vehicle’s motor to make it run again, but a full restoration is unlikely.

The chamber has promoted the events throughout the summer to bring people to downtown New Ulm. The Hop and Shop started last year and has continued to grow each month, with between 100 and 125 vehicles participating in the event.

The cruise-in events are scheduled for the warm months and as fall approaches 80 degree temperatures will be a thing of the past.

However, next month the cruise-in will be replaced by the annual Oktoberfest celebration, which is expected to draw an even larger crowd.