Classic Car Owners Pack Nicky’s Parking Lot For One Final Cruisin’

It was always the perfect backdrop for a classic car show, with its '40s, '50s and '60s memorabilia all over the walls and coming through the loudspeakers.

And now, it's the end of an era of sorts, as Nicky's Cruisin' Diner will close for good at the end of the month. Known well for its Wednesday Night Classic Car "Cruisins," classic car aficionados from across eastern Maine came out this week for one last hurrah! They filled the parking lot at Nicky's with an array of shiny, gorgeous and super loud classics.

For some, like Mike Reynolds from Holden, who's taken his '69 Camaro out to show at Nicky's for decades, it was a night to meet up with fellow car fans. He said there may be some other plans in the works to start up another car show in a nearby town at some point, but for now, this might be the last time for a while for the classic car community to spend some time together.

For others, like his friend Dave Barker from Glenburn, who had just gotten his own '69 Camaro on the road, it was bitter sweet. It was Baker's first and last show at Nicky's. Both men reminisced about having grown up eating at the diner, and making many memories both inside and out in the parking lot.

For the Venezianos, Classic Car Cruisins like the ones Nicky's used to host, have become a family affair over the last decade. The couple had their twin boys along with them for one last meal, and also brought their "his and hers" mustangs out for one final show at the diner.

The cars were loud and gorgeous. The folks, as always, were down-to-earth and respectful. The majority of people wore masks and stayed a ways apart from one another. All gathered to share their love of cars, and their own special memories of Nicky's. It will be strange not to see that neon sign welcoming in patrons after all these years. Thanks for the memories, Nicky's.