GULF COAST, Miss.- The 20th annual Cruisin’ the Coast kicked off Sunday. Close to 8,000 cars registered for the famed tradition in along the Mississippi coastline last year, and this year it is expected to be even bigger.
The week long extravaganza isn’t your typical car show– it engulfs the shoreline of the Magnolia state drawing thousands in to see cars from every era.
So far, cars have been flooding in from all directions.
“We have 41 states represented, also Canada and Australia,” said Woody Bailey, vice-chairman and executive director of Cruisin’ the Coast. “And the cars are the stars. We’ve got events lined up all up and down the Coast, from one end to the other.”
With that comes a huge boost for the economy in cities all along the coast.
“When it is about 8,000 cars, we’ve found that it is about three people per car on average,” said Bailey. “When you factor in spectators, tourists, and additional laborers.. you can expect a draw of up to 100,000 people throughout the week.”
Bailey said this year, officials with Cruisin’ are conducting an economic study, but the results have been evident in recent years.
“The restaurants, the hotels, the bed and breakfasts, you name it, they all get a ‘shot in the arm’ during this week. They see increases and then they buy things from their suppliers, and there are increases there too,” said Senator Michael Watson.
The event continues to grow bigger and better every year.
“Just to give you a reference,” said Bailey, “in 1996, when the event started, we had 374 vehicles registered. Last year, we had 7,639.”
You can find cool cars, great entertainment, events, food, and fun all week long. To find out more about it just visit their website.
