You know you’re onto something wild when a Facebook post turns into a full-blown engine symphony that kicks off before 5 PM and doesn’t shut down until after midnight—like some kind of V8-powered slumber party where nobody actually sleeps and everyone smells vaguely like burnt rubber and 10W-30.
It all started with a little thought called “Why Can’t We?” Not born from city planning or an HOA meeting, but from the legendary midnight mind of Lisa Kistner Sheler, also known as Lisa-Lisa, Queen of the Comeback Cruise. She didn’t just toss out a remember when post; she roped in the entire town like Wonder Woman with a Facebook account, armed with nothing but a dream and a fresh sack of Krystal burgers.
And Goodlettsville and surrounding counties answered the call—loudly.
Over 10,000 People Saw It and Thought, “Heck Yeah, Let’s Rev That Engine”
Within a few days, Lisa’s Facebook group had over 10,000 views—which, in Rivergate terms, is just about everyone and their cousin who still drives their original 1982 Monte Carlo with cragar rims
The last cruise of Rivergate Mall wasn’t just some casual spin around the parking lot. No sir. This was a rolling, rumbling, fume-filled tribute to the glory days—when gas was $1.14, and your biggest decision in life was whether to put your Van Halen tape in right side up or upside down just for luck.
Cars started showing up before 5 PM. That’s right. Before dinner. Some folks even skipped supper because they didn’t want to lose their spot—though several were later seen inhaling Krystal sliders like pit crew members in between laps.
From “Sweet Rides” to “What on Earth Is That?”
You had everything on wheels and a few things that maybe shouldn’t have been:
- Camaros with side pipes and dreams.
- Mustangs with more stickers than horsepower.
- Dodge Chargers that made the ground tremble.
- An El Camino with a hot tub in the back (don’t ask).
- A minivan painted like the General Lee… but with SpongeBob decals.
- Trucks so lifted they needed ladders.
- Grandma’s SUV with “LIV2CRUZ” in painter’s tape across the windshield.
And then there was that one brave soul in a Geo Tracker with purple underglow and a karaoke mic mounted to the dash. He didn’t just drive. He performed.
Lisa-Lisa: The Legend Behind the Laps
Let’s give credit where it’s due. Lisa-Lisa made it happen. She didn’t just rally the troops—she brought back the feeling of 1984. A time when your car stereo had knobs, your jeans were tight (sometimes dangerously so), and Rivergate Mall was the undisputed cruise capital of Sumner County.
People didn’t just show up—they camped out in folding chairs, sitting on the car roofs. They swapped stories like trading cards. Thousands were moving as if there were singing a Garth Brooks song, “If tomorrow never comes” that’s the type of turnout that Lisa-Lisa brought us.
All night long, the parking lot was alive—headlights, laughter, revving engines, and debates that hadn’t changed in 40 years:
“Camaro or Mustang?”
“LS swap or carbureted forever?”
It Was More Than a Cruise. It Was a Reboot.
From the first engine start before 5 PM to the final burnout somewhere around 12:17 AM (we checked the timestamp on someone’s Facebook Live), this wasn’t just a ride down memory lane—it was a parade of personality. It was the ultimate “remember when?” that turned into “we should do this again.”
Folks hugged. Kids got rides in cars older than their parents. Someone even grilled hot dogs off the back of a lowered Silverado with flames painted down the side (safely, we think). You couldn’t take three steps without someone yelling, “Hey! I haven’t seen you since high school!” followed by a twenty-minute conversation and maybe a jump-start.
So… Why Can’t We?
Why can’t we cruise again? Why can’t we reclaim the joy of rolling slow with nowhere to go but in circles for hours? Why can’t we keep the Krystal bag full and the headlights on?
Well… maybe we can.
Lisa-Lisa showed us it doesn’t take a city council vote or a fortune. It just takes heart, horsepower, and the stubborn belief that burnout marks are a form of today’s street art.
So to Lisa-Lisa. To the 10,000+ who showed up online and the thousands who showed up in person. To every kid who asked, “What’s that smell? Like the words from the 1977 Lynyrd Skynyrd song ” and every adult who answered, “Let Freedom Roll.” Thank You for the memories..
Here’s to Rivergate.
Here’s to the last cruise.
And here’s to the next one—hopefully with more sliders and fewer busted shocks.
Start your engines.
We’re not done yet. Lisa might just have something else up her sleeve..
