If you’re into unique automobiles and motorcycles, or just want an interesting way to spend the weekend in central Mississippi, look no further than the Renaissance Euro Fest.
An array of European car and motorcycle makers from six counties will be represented in Ridgeland this Friday and Saturday, with limited edition Italian cars and bikes such as Ferrari, Maserati, Lamborghini, Porsche, BMW, and Mercedes Benz headlining the 18th annual show. It takes place each year at the Renaissance at Highland Colony Park with Friday being for show participants only and Saturday’s slate of events being free and open to the public.
“We’ll have essentially four, square blocks of European automobiles, probably 100 or 120 cars,” Renaissance Euro Fest founder and director Mike Marsh said. “Then, to the east of the Renaissance, we’ll have a car club corral that’s more of a social show. People will gather there that like to show their cars and visit with car lovers.”
A rare 1935 SS Mark 2 will be one of the many rare rods displayed at the show with Marsh saying that car alone is “alone worth coming to the show to see.”
“Every year, we seem to lock onto something new and different that really makes our show grow,” he said. “The [SS Mark 2] has won at Pebble Beach to Amelia Island, Florida, to Connecticut and every major car show in between. It’s a piece of rolling art.”
Everyone of all ages who want to experience an uncommon collection of automobiles from across the pond are welcome to attend. With the event being held outside, dogs are welcome, too. Marsh even gave some inside info with those wanting to get up close and personal with exotic cars. He said, while Saturday’s show officially starts at 10 a.m., visitors can show up at 9 a.m. to see the cars lined up and take pictures before the larger crowd shows up.
“We’re just very fortunate and encourage all the people to come out and enjoy,” Marsh said. “Check out the cars, have a nice lunch if you like, and there are many places to shop. You can park no more than a block away and be right there in the middle of the event for the entire day. There’s a lot of good things about the show other than just the cars.”
Over the past 17 years, the Renaissance Euro Fest has welcomed more than 255,000 people with the average stay-time being around three hours. Their work to be one of the top niche car shows hasn’t gone unnoticed, either, with USA Today recently ranking Euro Fest as the sixth-best show in the entire nation.
“It’s really quite remarkable,” Marsh said. “Out of the 20 finalists in the USA Today poll, we were the smallest show in the smallest market. Quite frankly, I was very surprised that we were named in the top 10. It’s an incredible benefit for us.”
Renaissance Euro Fest also sets in motion nearly a half-month’s worth of automobile events with Cruisin’ the Coast beginning three hours south on Sunday and running through Sunday, Oct. 12. Cruisin’ the Coast was ranked as the top car show in the same USA Today poll, and to Marsh, having them in the same month is a perfect combination for car lovers.
