ASHLAND — Downtown Ashland hosted many first-time visitors and local residents alike during a perfect late-summer evening for September’s First Friday Art Walk and Downtown Live event.

The combination of classic and custom cars along with one-of-a-kind artwork and downtown dining options received nothing less than enthusiastic reviews from everyone involved.

As Jerry Jeff Lewis, Ed Riffe, Tony Maynard and “Kentucky” John Hall began their musical performance as members of The Thrillbillys, visitors wound their way around a staggering variety of machines ranging from a 1903 Oldsmobile Surrey to a new Bentley coupe, multiple models of Corvette, practically every Chevrolet imaginable, renovated pickup trucks, custom hot rods and a vintage VW Squareback.

Several downtown businesses that had previously been closed during the monthly gathering also opened their doors for the September’s First Friday event, attracting many new customers who said they had previously been unaware of the different items and services available.

“This is third time I’ve come to this part of the event,” said Roger Williams, who drove his 1981 Chevrolet Impala from McDermott, Ohio, to Winchester Avenue to participate in the automotive cruise-in added to the 2009 First Friday schedule.

An automotive enthusiast at heart, Williams said he also enjoyed visiting the artists’ studios at the Pendleton Art Center in addition to looking at the classic vehicles and talking to other car owners.

“We went to the art show. My wife bought several things and we went out to dinner,” he said with a smile, noting he appreciates the variety of activities and sights Ashland has to offer. “Without the cruise-in, I would have never seen all of this.”

Carla Miller of Russell drove a 1925 T-Bucket to the cruise-in, and expressed her surprise at the number of people who were present on the street despite competition from local football games and Labor Day related events.

“I think it’s great. It takes a while for things like this to catch on and I think the word is out on these cars,” Miller said. “Now that I’ve seen what’s here and visited the museum, the art gallery and the Upstairs Gallery ... I wouldn’t have seen those places without this.”

Sweet harmonies and musical accompaniment echoed from inside the front door at Thoroughbred Agency as Erica Berry and Four Grain performed a cover of a song by progressive acoustic musicians Nickel Creek. Outside the insurance company office, Gordon Robson of Canada admired the variety of automotive art on display.

“This is excellent — with the great weather and cars ... just fantastic,” he said.

Main Street Director Danny Craig couldn’t suppress his enthusiasm for the crowd and the excitement on the downtown streets.

“Dang, this is awesome,” Craig said as he surveyed the crowd and shook hands with friends as they passed by. “This keeps growing and getting better. I think we have found the formula for combing the arts and the love affair people have with antique cars, motorcycles and fun. And, we’ve had perfect weather every time. I have to give God praise for the perfect weather.”

Inside the Pendleton, artists Jennifer Hamilton and Rhonda Pennington said they have noticed increased traffic inside the art center, and hope the greater number of visitors will soon translate to increased sales at their studio.