Big changes in store when award-winning Cruisin’ The Coast returns to South Mississippi

[Pelican Press 0]

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

Big changes in store when award-winning Cruisin’ The Coast returns to South Mississippi

There aren’t many things the three counties and 12 cities in South Mississippi agree upon, but the impact of Cruisin’ The Coast is one of them.

All dozen Coast cities will host at least one event during

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

car show, which was voted by readers of USA Today as

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

for the fifth year.

Cruisin’ officially runs Sunday to Sunday, Oct. 6-13, but has a bonus day this year.

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

at Keesler Federal Park in downtown Biloxi is on Saturday, Oct. 5, “a day early from our normal start date,” said Woody Bailey, executive director of Cruisin’ The Coast. It’s presented by the Biloxi Shuckers and Ground Zero Blues Club.

The all day concert from noon-10 p.m. brings together high-energy acts like South Mississippi’s own Chapel Hart, along with zydeco, blues and other music styles by Tab Benoit, Amanda Shaw, Taj Farrant, Tim Dugger, Rockin’ Dopsie Jr., Bonerama and Leillani Kilgore. Tickets are $65.

Cruisin’ entertainment

“We have shaken up our music line-up and will feature a lot of new, fresh sounds for you.,” Bailey said in his latest newsletter.

The Beach Boys are back at Beau Rivage Resort & Casino and Cruisin’ will salute native son Jimmy Buffett on the last night at Hollywood Casino Gulf Coast.

“We’re having a little Parrothead cruisers night,” Bailey said. Buffett was born in Pascagoula and ***** on Labor Day weekend in 2023.

“We thought we needed to include something special for him this year,” Bailey said.

data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///ywAAAAAAQABAAACAUwAOw==

Spectators walk among classic cars in downtown Biloxi during the Biloxi Block Party, one of many Cruisin’ the Coast events. This year there will be new entertainment and events across the 12 Coast cities.

Also new this year are:

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

CTC will have free seminars, sponsored by PPG Paints, featuring award-winning-painter, Charley Hutton. He’ll be at the Coast Coliseum in Biloxi as part of the CTC Swap Meet.

Free shuttles to Cruise Central

One of the biggest changes is at Centennial Plaza on U.S. 90 in Gulfport, which is Cruise Central.

Cruisers will be parked there but spectator parking won’t be available in the adjacent lot like past years.

data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///ywAAAAAAQABAAACAUwAOw==data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///ywAAAAAAQABAAACAUwAOw==

Cruisers arrive at Cruise Central at Centennial Plaza during Cruisin’ the Coast in 2023. This year spectators will take free shuttles to Cruise Central.

Instead, spectators will park at Hardy Court Shopping Center at the corner of Pass and Courthouse roads, and free Coast Transit shuttles will transport spectators between there and Cruise Central.

“We’ll have busses running from Monday through Sunday from the east side of the lot at Courthouse Road,” Bailey said. Plans are being finalized, but Bailey said he expects the buses will come in the back entrance and drop off passengers near the fountain. He also expects there to be handicapped parking and transport.

Numbers running a little behind

Last year more than 10,000 registered set a record for the event.

“We are about 250 less than we had last year at this time,” Bailey said, with 8,259 cars signed up before the pre-registration deadline.

data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///ywAAAAAAQABAAACAUwAOw==data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///ywAAAAAAQABAAACAUwAOw==

Spectators are reflected in the window of a station wagon parked in downtown Biloxi during the Biloxi Block Party, one of many Cruisin’ the Coast events in 2023.

Bailey said the numbers are down just a little and he’s not concerned. Last year they noticed on-site registration was higher than usual.

Cruisers are coming from 43 states, Canada and England. “Over 1,100 first timers are already registered,” he said, “a really strong number. That’s about 18% of our registration,” and quite an accomplishment for a 28-year old event to have, he said.

The newcomers and the loyal Cruisers come to drive their cars along Beach Boulevard, to swap stories with other car owners, to parade at Long Beach, participate or watch the flame thrower contest and to ***** “Em Up in The Pass.

data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///ywAAAAAAQABAAACAUwAOw==data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///ywAAAAAAQABAAACAUwAOw==

Kendal Boudreaux, of Grand Lake, LA, shoots flames out of his 1951 Ford Rat Rod during a flame throwing competition, where drivers compete to see which car can produce the biggest flames, at Island View Casino in Gulfport during Cruisin’ The Coast 2023.

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

#Big #store #awardwinning #Cruisin #Coast #returns #South #Mississippi

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up

This is the hidden content, please

• Sign In
• or
• Sign Up