Lingenfelter Cars and Coffee, the largest weekly early-morning event in Michigan

Ah, the local early-morning cars and coffee meets. A relaxing drive to your favorite local hangout, good coffee and pleasant people. As a small-town Traverse City, Mich., resident visiting the Detroit area, I wasn’t fully anticipating all the action that Lingenfelter’s Cars and Coffee would bring to my morning. It blew me out of the water.

It’s the best possible way to wake up on Saturday morning in Wixom, Mich., throughout the summer. All makes and models are welcome, which creates quite the smorgasbord of vehicles lining the streets and filling the nearby parking lots. Seeing the vehicles enter and exit the lot was equivalent to a moving car show, and many experienced onlookers brought their lawn chairs. Let’s be honest here: I didn’t even make it to the coffee and donut table. By the time I admired each vehicle and chatted with a few fellow enthusiasts, the event was nearly over.

Not only does this event bring the community together, but it is also for a good cause. This year the Gleaners Community Food Bank is the beneficiary, and all attendees are encouraged to bring nonperishable food and/or monetary donations to help provide the hungry 50,000 meals.

The event occurs every Saturday, rain or shine, until the end of the season, August 27. Whether you are local to the area or just passing through, this is one Cars and Coffee worth waking up early for.

For more information and regular updates, visit Lingefelter’s Cars & Coffee Facebook page.