If you are a car collector or just love to see classic cars and cars that have been customized, you need to be at Cruisin the Coast from October 6 through October 16, 2024. The Mississippi Gulf Coast is host to many events during the year and one of the most popular is Cruisin the Coast. 2023 saw more than 10,000 cars registered, a new record
As I drove around during the 2023 event I could tell it would be a record year. Vacation rentals were all booked along with hotels. Empty lots along U.S. 90 were filling up with motor homes and classic cars. I could feel the excitement in the air.
Note: We are in the process of updating this article for 2024 so read about the 2023 event here and expect even more in 2024.
New Record
10,000+ registrations for 2023
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Three auto-related events are held each year along the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Scrapin-the-Coast, Jeeping-the-Coast, and in October of each year, Cruisin the Coast. By far the largest is Cruisin the Coast. People bring in their treasures for the rest of us to see, touch, and possibly sit inside. One of the nice aspects of the event is that it takes place all across the Mississippi Gulf Coast with events held daily.
Cruisin the Coast 2024
sunday October 6 is the offical start of the 2024 event
Cruisin the Coast 2023
The 2023 event begins with View the Cruise in downtown Gulfport from 8 AM through 5 PM on Sunday, October 1. Also, Hardy Court Shopping Center, Gulfport from 9 AM until 2 PM. Chris Jacobs will appear at Hardy Court. Don’t forget Smoky and the Bandit at the Gautier drive-in movie theater.
Last year, the Ocean Springs Sock Hop & Street Party was the place to be. This year, 2023 is no exception. The Ocean Springs Sock Hop and Street Party start at 5:20 until 9 p.m. on Friday, October 6. Garry “Elvis” Wesley, Na Na, She, and Departure all provide musical entertainment. Be there or be square.
Speaking of events, how about a parade held in Long Beach Parade on Monday, October 2? Only registered vehicles can participate. The parade is limited to the first 600 vehicles that show up. Cars will line up after 1:00 so you can walk around and see them. The parade starts at 5:30 p.m.
A quick note about why I believe this show and others are held on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Accommodations are priced lower than in other similar venues. Traffic flow can be controlled to benefit visitors and locals. Casinos offer entertainment venues. The area is family-friendly with lots of things to do. People are welcoming and of course, the weather usually cooperates.
Highlights of 2023
The following are just a few of the many events scheduled every day. To view the entire calendar, click the button at the bottom and review the calendar on the official Cruisin the Coast site.
OCTOBER 1 – Sunday
Gulfport – Vieew the cruise, downtown Gulfport 8 AM until 5 PM
MONDAY-2nd
Long Beach – Parade 5:30 PM
TUESDAY- 3rd
Moss Point – Cruisin the River City – 10:00 AM – 2 PM
Biloxi – Margaritavillelle Cruise-in – 11:00 AM – 4 PM
WEDNESDAY 4th
Biloxi – Block party downtown 8 AM – 3 PM
Waveland – Hot Rods & Hospitality, Coleman Ave 10 AM – 2 PM
Diamondhead – Blessing of the Classics – 4 PM – 7 PM
THURSDAY 5th
Pass Christian – Fleitas Ave 5 PM – Dusk
Entertainment throughout the coast, Bay St. Louis, Pass Christian, Edgewater Mall, D’Iberville, Ocean Springs Downtown, Pascagoula.
FRIDAY 6th
Ocean Springs – Sock Hop & Street Party 5:20 PM – 9 PM
Bay St. Louis – Hollywood Casino free outdoor concert 7 PM
Entertainment throughout the coast
SATURDAY 7th
Biloxi – Treasure Bay Casino Car Corral 9 AM – 5 PM
Aircraft fly by at 2 PM entire Gulf Coast
Entertainment throughout the Coast
The most popular car at Cruisin the Coast 2022
More than 2,000 Ford Mustangs were at the Cruisin the Coast event in 2022. Mustangs represented fully 20% of all of the cars in the event. A 1964 Mustang Fastback was one of the most popular Mustangs produced, often called the “Bullitt”. A 1969 Mustang Boss 429 was there as well.
If you were there, you may have seen the 1970 Mustang Mach 1 or some of the 1980’s Mustangs on display.
Most Expensive Automobile at Cruisin the Coast 2022
Believe it or not, a 1963 Ferrari 250 GTO was displayed at Cruisin the Coast 2022. This beautiful red sports car is worth 40 million dollars. It’s owned by a private collector who wishes to remain anonymous.
Oldest car at Cruisin the Coast 2022
A 1904 Curved Dash Oldsmobile was the oldest car at the 2022 event. Owned by Bill and Kathy Tompson of Long Beach, Mississippi. This vehicle has a two-cylinder engine producing 4 horsepower. The top speed is 20 miles per hour. This is a rare automobile. Perhaps the Tompsons will return to Cruisin the Coast in 2023 so we can see this amazing part of America.
A very big classic auto show
Cruzin the Coast is a huge vintage auto show with major features others do not have. Most of the vehicles are driven around the Gulf Coast for all to see. They parade up and down Beach Blvd (U.S. 90) which makes the show more mobile than just going to a single stationary location.
The Crusin the Coast events consist of parts of the city blocked off so pedestrians can walk around the autos. Dozens of great older autos are parked for inspection. One day the attendees will have their vehicles parked in downtown Ocean Springs, another day in Gulfport, etc.
Entertainment is provided in some venues along with food vendors who sell beer and other delights which you can enjoy while you walk around. Spend time talking with some of the owners and they will tell you their stories such as the time they found the car in a scrapyard.
Vicari Auto Auction
If you would like to participate or just watch the car auction, drop by the Coast Coliseum from 9 AM through 5 PM (Mon-Friday). There is also a swap meeting at the same location.
People place chairs along the highway to watch
U.S. Highway 90 also known as Beach Blvd is host to the majority of the events. People place their chairs all along the highway by the sidewalk or on the beach to watch the cars, trucks, and other conveyances drive by. This event is something to see and experience. For those of us with a bit of gray (or lots of it), we can see cars that our parents drove or that we used on our first date. There is a great deal of nostalgia connected with this event.
The 2023 event is held from October 1 through October 8th. Cruzin’ The Coast accepts vehicles made on or before 1990.
My favorite cars are some of the roadsters from the 40s and there are plenty of them to see. Then there are those 1957 Chevrolet two-door treasures. I have seen many of these classic cars in near pristine condition and then there are those with blowers, multiple carbs, and lots of mods.
Rooms for Cruzin’ are often booked well in advance e.g. one year. If you plan to travel and need accommodations, I suggest you book months in advance. Many people gravitate to vacation rental properties because they need space to park their rigs.
Some of the empty lots along U.S. 90 are available to rent for your motor home or tent. Signs on these properties direct callers to contact numbers.
If you love classic cars
These vehicles are not just a few years old, they are considered vintage. If you love vintage cars, this event is the place to be. Not only because of the cars but because of the beautiful setting near or on the beach. The weather last year was nice, sunny and warm days. Some people need a reason to take a vacation so this is yours. If you love classic cars “Cruisin the Coast” 2023 is the place to be.
You may want to buy your vintage car, there are lots for sale here as well. Perhaps you need a part, someone may be able to help with that. If you belong to a car club, you may want to have your club attend the event.
Most of my articles are about serious things such as retirement, taxes, and the like. I wanted to take a break from those articles to write about something fun. I enjoy this event along with the Scraping and Jeeping the Coast events as well. It’s a great feeling to see people out having fun.
The best reason to come to Cruisin the Coast 2023
The people just like you. People come to the Cruisin the Coast to be in the company of others with a common interest. This is more of a social event than anything else. It’s not just about the cars and trucks I am not sure it’s not primarily the social aspect that brings people together. When you are tired of talking about politics, school issues, crime, and other topics of the day, you can talk about cars.
More important than discussing cars for many is talking about that time in their lives when a specific car was important or during a life-changing moment. For example, the blue Chevrolet truck below is like the one that my father owned when I was a kid. When I saw it, that was the first memory that was triggered, a time when we went camping in his truck.
I was able to find a car that was similar to my first car. When you see these vehicles, you think about experiences surrounding that car such as your first date in a car. Some married couples remember driving in their first convertible that happened to look exactly like the one on display. This is the real reason that I believe people come to Cruzin the Coast. In addition to your memories, you can discuss those with the car owner who may have some similar memories.
Most expensive U.S. manufactured car ever sold!
1935 Dusenberg SSJ $22 million (2018)
Y’all come to visit the Mississippi Gulf Coast during Cruzin’ The Coast
Come and visit our area, the Mississippi Gulf Coast, it’s unlike other beachfront communities. Our beaches are filled with white sand, wide and many, many miles long. We do not have dozens of high-rise buildings on our beaches so as you drive along you can see the Gulf of Mexico on your entire drive along the coast (with a short part of the beach where casinos are located). Put away the serious things for a while and join us at the beach.
For those few individuals who like a bit of gaming, you should watch this video before leaving for your favorite casino. Jackpots on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Not to distract from the many hours you will spend admiring cars you would like to take home, you can win a jackpot here. Watch the video and come back here.
The Ocean Springs 2024 event will be bigger
It seems that each year Cruisin the Coast grows. 2023 was the biggest year since the event was created and there is no reason why 2024 should not exceed 2023’s records. People need events like this to “get away” from their daily schedules.
The Ocean Springs event was impressive. My wife and I walked around the streets which were full of beautiful and not-so-beautiful classic cars. The not-so-beautiful is an entire class of cars in what I call “arrested development”, they look like they need paint. I saw cars that my parents drove and cars that I drove when I was a teenager.
The event is not just about cars it’s an excuse to get out of the house and participate with others in a large social event. You have the opportunity to speak with others from around the country about their hobbies and other topics. It was truly a family affair, the kids loved the cars. Food stalls were scattered around along with refreshment booths. Restaurants were open along with the pubs.
People were shopping. I know that this was an opportunity to buy my wife a birthday gift from one of our favorite art stores. The weather was excellent, it was about 70 on Saturday morning with clear skies and no appreciable humidity. I like others look forward to the Cruisin the Coast 2024 event.
About accommodations
Be sure to book well in advance. Cruisin the Coast is well attended and even with all of the hotel rooms at casinos, the Coast will get booked up. Consider renting a vacation house. Vacation rentals are also booked in advance, they are a favorite because of the need to park trailers and additional vehicles. A great place to start is Christie’s Gulf Beach Rentals which offers several properties within walking distance of the beach.
As of May 15, two new properties have come to Christie’s, and Cruzin the Coast is still open for both. Check this one out: https://christiesgulfbeachrentals.com/accommodation/peaceful-meadow/
Be aware
With the change in the economy, some vacation rental properties have been sold for or converted to full-year rentals. If you have been using the same property for years, verify that it is still available now, not later. Keep checking as the event nears. Christie’s has lost a couple of properties to owner sales however, they have replaced them with new ones. Should you find that your favorite property is off the market or in the case of Christie’s, booked, you can put your name on Christies waitlist by clicking HERE.
The best part about Christie’s properties is that many have extra room for trailers and additional auto parking. The good thing is that Christie’s is adding new properties so keep checking back. Consider booking for now before the best properties are booked. Yes, booking one year in advance is a good thing to do. Book now at Christie’s website and receive vacation travel insurance at NO additional cost.
Consider moving to the affordable Mississippi Gulf Coast
A large number of Mississippi Gulf Coast residents own vintage cars. They came to one of the three auto events and decided to stay. If you are considering the idea of relocation, take a look at the Logan-Anderson, Gulf Coast Realtors website and check out available homes. You will be surprised at how affordable they are not to mention they are one of the lowest cost of living states. Call us at 228-215-3234.
I love the area, and read one of our most popular blog articles: “Why I decided to retire in Ocean Springs, Mississippi” and “You need to retire on the Mississippi Gulf Coast”.
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