Cruisin’ the Coast, the festival touted as “America’s Largest Block Party,” will return to the Mississippi Gulf Coast in just under a week.
The 29th edition of what has been lauded by USA Today as the top car show in America is scheduled to run from Oct. 5-12, featuring a wide variety of vintage cars, live music, and more across the entire coastal region of the state.
“I want everybody to come see us during Cruisin’ week,” Cruisin’ the Coast executive director Woody Bailey said. “There will be plenty of opportunities to come here, have some fun, and see some cool rides.”
Before you head down to the Coast, here’s what you need to know about the annual event.
Where is Cruisin’ the Coast?
Cruisin’ the Coast spans across all three coastal Mississippi counties — Harrison, Hancock, and Jackson — with 12 cities playing a role in the festivities.
The event will have 10 main site locations, including:
- Cruise Central/Registration Tent: Jones Park, at the intersection of Highway 49 and Highway 90
- Mississippi Coast Coliseum
- Downtown Ocean Springs
- Edgewater Mall: The parking area on the west side
- Downtown Bay St. Louis
- D’Iberville Civic Center
- Downtown Pass Christian
- Pascagoula: Beach Park
- Downtown Gautier
- Downtown Moss Point
“We had a big move this year. Our headquarters, we call ‘Cruise Central,’ is going to be in Jones Park in Gulfport,” Bailey said. “We moved from Centennial Plaza, where we had been for a number of years. But we started in Jones Park back in 1996, when we only had 374 cars that registered. So, we’re happy to be back home, and we’re going to have a great setup for everybody.”
How many antique or vintage vehicles will be on site?
As things stand, more than 8,400 vehicles have been preregistered for this year’s Crusin’ the Coast, though not every car owner registers ahead of time. Bailey anticipates up to, if not more than, 10,000 antique and vintage cars lining up on Beach Boulevard. This year, cars from 41 states and three different countries — England, Canada, and Australia — have already been registered.
“We’ve got big numbers, and we’ve had big numbers for a long time,” Bailey said. “We just want to make sure everyone enjoys themselves and has fun while they’re here.”
What other entertainment options are there?
While the cars will be the stars of the show, Cruisin’ the Coast comes with a myriad of other entertainment opportunities with live music being a fan favorite.
For the first time, this year’s festival will feature a “Buffett & Bumpers Block Party” in downtown Pascagoula to honor the legacy of the late yacht rocker, Jimmy Buffett. The festivities will run on Thursday, Oct. 9, from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m., with the Buffett Beach Band playing hit Buffett tunes.
Other notable acts include New Orleans showband The Chee-Weez, which will perform at the Hollywood Casino Gulf Coast in Bay St. Louis on Oct. 10, along with Journey tribute band Departure at the same location on Oct. 11.
A full schedule of events can be found here.
How much does Cruisin’ the Coast cost?
While folks whose cars will be on site have to pay to register their vehicles for the event, guests are welcome to roam around without paying a dime at Cruisin’ the Coast. However, some ancillary events may come with a price tag.
