[3][4] In 1999 when Rivertown Crossings Mall opened in Grandville near the southwest border of Wyoming, many commercial tenants left the 28th Street corridor.

[5][6] Following the opening of the M-6 highway in late-2004, the Wyoming-Kentwood Area Chamber of Commerce planned the first Metro Cruise to be held in August 2005 in an initiative to bring business to 28th Street.

[3][8][9][10] In 2015, a locally restored GM Futurliner participated in the cruise and was added to the National Historic Vehicle Register.

[12] The cruise would return the following year in 2021, producing an estimated $7 million for the local economy that week.

[8][14] The majority of events are free and include classic automobile shows, concerts, dynamometer testing, food concessions and the Miss Metro Cruise pin-up girl contest.