WAXHAW, NC – The second Sunday of every month, is for the car-obsessed. As the sun peaks over the tops of the old oak trees, the parking lot in front of the Harris Teeter in the Cureton shopping center transforms into an outdoor showroom for motor enthusiasts. Upon arrival, cars of various makes and models, colors, and customizations are parked in the lot, some with the hood propped and others with their owner standing proud by their automotive dream. Drivers, friends, and community members gather, drink hot coffee, and discuss their passion for the vehicles they view as extensions of themselves. To an outsider, this discussion carries odd jargon and head-tilting acronyms that often sound like they’re speaking a foreign language. You don’t have to keep up. You just have to have to appreciate their rides.
This October meet brought Halloween early. It wasn’t the crisp chill in the air or the pumpkin spice lattes served at the Dunkin Donuts, but the spooky decorations motorheads accessorized their cars to celebrate the season. From skeletons riding in the driver’s seat, an actual ghost (with a white sheet and two holes cut out for the headlights) to an ‘80s throwback with a lifesize Beetlejuice caricature sitting in the trunk of the car and other ghoulish characters, there was no shortage of creative Halloween decorations. Owner of a rapid blue 2021 Corvette, Christopher Stasinopoulos, with two skeletons resting in foldable chairs, and at their feet, black cauldrons were filled to the brim with the frit-o lay variety chip bags. It was any child’s (or adult’s) trick-or-treating gold mine. Stasinopoulous explained that when he didn’t have an exotic car, he didn’t often attend the events, but when he purchased his pride and joy, he started to come back.
“In fact, when I got it last year, they had the car show the following weekend. I rolled up, and everybody was just like, ‘Wow.’” Stasinopoulos smiles. “It was a dream of mine to own this, I’ve worked hard, and when I get in it, I always say I go from Bruce Wayne to Batman.”
Much like adults’ adoration for Halloween, dressing up in costume, and experimenting with a new identity, driving a supercar gives a motorhead a sense of empowerment they can’t find outside of their four-wheel (or two-wheel) vehicle.
In addition to the Halloween festivities, generous donations were made to the DeAngelo Williams Foundation. Every month Waxhaw Coffee Cruisers sponsors a different charity. For October, the automotive group chose to fund the former running back for the Panther’s organization. DeAngelo Williams started the non-profit in honor of his mother and all four aunts who passed away from breast cancer to raise awareness and seek initiatives to eradicate breast cancer. For these gearheads, gathering once a month isn’t just to talk about metal. It’s about building relationships within the community that make us stronger together.
Waxhaw Coffee Cruisers makes it easy for an outsider to become an insider, even if you don’t know the lingo. It’s the friendliest group of individuals you’ll come across that early in the morning. Maybe it’s the caffeine revving in their veins, but most likely, it’s the relaxation and sense of independence they feel when talking about their car that’s probably cleaner than their own house.
