Cruisin’ The Coast (CTC) is held in Biloxi, Mississippi, and surrounding areas on the first full weekend of October, annually. They tout themselves as the world’s largest block party and I am here to tell you, they cannot be far off. This event is MASSIVE and in its 27th year. This year’s event is October 1st through the 8th.
The festival began in 1996 with 374 vehicles and has swelled to over 9,000. People come from all over the world, not just the States, to celebrate the collector car in all its forms as well as the nostalgia of the era. Cruisers are treated to an ocean view as they drive their rides on the 30-mile stretch of coastal highway from Bay St Louis to Pascagoula.
They have designated stops in Bay St Louis, Biloxi, D’Iberville, Gulfport, Pass Christian, Ocean Springs and Pascagoula. Each stop is its own mini festival with live bands, food vendors and event merchandise. There is a large swap meet, car corral and collector car auction hosted by Vicari Motorsports at the Mississippi Gulf Coast Coliseum and Convention Center.
Pros: this is far and away one of my favorite car events, collector or otherwise. I love it! I love the towns. I love people. I love the food. You will meet all kinds of people and see all kinds of cars. In the evenings. tourists and residents alike line Beach Boulevard with their lawn chairs and treat this event like a tailgate at an LSU Tigers football game…or maybe I should’ve said Ole Miss Rebels. For me, it is like old home week. I get to see friends and customers alike from across the marketplace because this is just one of those events. There are beaches. There are casinos. Everyone likes to join in the fun!
Cons: if you haven’t already made travel plans to be there for 2023, it is probably too late. Hotels will be fully booked by now and if you do happen to find a room still open, you will be paying a premium. I have both rented a car and used ride share. Renting is cheaper if you can still find a car. The airport is smaller so there are no direct flights. Traffic is SLOW moving in the evenings because of the cruisers.
All those cons being said if you plan ahead, Cruisin’ the Coast is an absolute blast. I would suggest the optimum time for making travel plans no later than 6 months out from the event date. Rental cars and airline reservations are, of course, not necessary if you are cruising yourself but hotels can book up quickly. My favorite places to stay are the Beau Rivage Resort & Casino, The Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Margaritaville Resort, and the White House Hotel. The latter two have no gambling but Margaritaville has a boardwalk type area, water playground and a great steakhouse and the White House is in a fantastic location for watching the cruisers. I have a few friends in the industry that now own second homes in the area because they love this event that much.
Bottom line: being born and raised in and around the collector car industry, when I drove into Biloxi the first time for CTC, my mind was blown. I was shocked and awed and had more fun than I thought possible even while working the auction. It is an event I have returned to time and time again and enjoyed each one more the last. You will not regret making time to take part in some or all what Cruisin’ the Coast has to offer. For more information on the CTC auction, please contact Vicari Auction Company at (504) 264-2277 and ask for Stephanie Rodriguez or email her at stephanie@vicarauction.com.
Photo credit to Gregg Martel of Shoofly Magazine CTC 2022.
Motorageous. 