Allegheny County police closed a stretch of Corrigan Drive through South Park this past weekend so hundreds of vintage cars, muscle cars, and modern Corvettes could line up bumper to bumper for a cause: raising money for UPMC Children's Hospital Foundation. The 15th annual Rev'em Up for Kids Mega Car Cruise took over the road on September 6, turning South Park's main thoroughfare into a rolling museum of automotive history.
The event, first detailed by WPXI, featured hundreds of special interest vehicles displayed along Corrigan Drive, alongside a kid zone, food court, craft vendors, t-shirt sales, and a basket raffle. Last year's cruise pulled in roughly 4,000 attendees and more than 1,100 vehicles, according to the same report. Pasta Too served as a sponsor, and all proceeds were donated to the hospital foundation, according to Visit Pittsburgh.
From Parking Lot to Full Road Closure
From Parking Lot to Full Road Closure The cruise wasn't always big enough to shut down a county road. In 2022, the event was held at the South Park Wave Pool Complex. In 2021, an earlier edition drew nearly 1,100 participating cars and an estimated 3,000 spectators, per an earlier TribLIVE report. By August 2025, turnout had exceeded 1,000 cars and organizers moved the display onto Corrigan Drive itself to eliminate the safety hazards created by vehicle congestion in the lots.
This year, organizers pushed the display line even farther, extending it toward Brownsville Road and adding a third entrance gate at Nurse's Lane Grove alongside the existing gates at McConkey Road and Brownsville Road, per TribLIVE's coverage of the operational changes. To manage the crowds, organizers rented 17 picnic groves throughout South Park and ran loop shuttle buses from the local children's playground, ferrying spectators from parking areas spread across Maple Springs Road, Brownsville Road, and public park lots to the cruise itself.
A Founder's Vision, Nearly a Century of Cars
Bethel Park resident Jim Gastgeb founded the cruise more than 15 years ago, inspired by childhood trips to car dealerships with his father, according to the Observer-Reporter. The lineup he built spans nearly a century of automotive design, from 1920s vintage models to modern Corvettes, and Gastgeb himself brings a 1980 replica of the Pontiac Trans-Am featured in “Smokey and the Bandit.” Along the display route, the event layout places a dedicated Kids' Zone at the Black and Gold Playground and includes a vendor food court, giving families landmarks to navigate by as they move along Corrigan Drive.
Money Goes Straight to Pediatric Care
Proceeds from the event benefit UPMC Children's Hospital Foundation. The hospital provides pediatric care. Donations support the hospital's work.
Rolling Through Regional History
Corrigan Drive itself carries some historical weight beyond the cruise. The road runs through South Park, which includes fairgrounds. Corrigan Drive also passes the Oliver Miller Homestead. The park is an Allegheny County public park.
