Mississippi claims No. 1 spot on USA Today's best car shows of the year. See winner here
One car show in Mississippi earned top rank in this year's USA Today list of best car shows in the nation.
Winners in the 2024 USA Today's 10Best Readers’ Choice Award for Best Car Show were chosen in a public online vote by readers. USA Today announced the winners Wednesday.
Each year, a panel of experts analyze "hundreds" of car show events that take place throughout the nation and narrow the field by nominating their top picks for the best. Experts then ask readers to vote for their favorites.
Mississippi's winner sits on the Mississippi Gulf Coast in Gulfport.
Cruisin' The Coast
Cruisin’ The Coast earned first place on USA Today's best car show category list. This is the fifth year in a row readers voted Cruisin' the best car event by USA Today’s 10Best.
USA Today wrote Cruisin' The Coast is considered "America's largest block party," where attendees can listen to live music, eat food, buy merchandise and engage in "plenty of car talk.”
Cruisin' The Coast Executive Director Woody Bailey said via a Wednesday social media post that the recognition is due to participants and spectators being "top notch" and spreading the word about "CTC across the country."
"When voting began, we came out of the shoot in the number two spot, but our participants, fans and followers quickly put us on top, where we stayed for the balance of the competition," Bailey said in the post. "It is a real testament to the hard work put in by the staff, support of our sponsors and the thousands of hours put in by hundreds of volunteers who make Cruisin' roll along."
According to the organization's webpage, Cruisin’ The Coast began in 1996 with 374 vehicles registered for the event. In 2017, the organization registered 8,308 vehicles for the event. And in 2023, the organization registered 10,070 vehicles for the event.
The Top 10 winners for best car show are ranked as follows:
Cruisin' The Coast — Mississippi Gulf Coast
MSRA Back to the 50's Weekend — St. Paul, Minnesota
Triple Crown of Rodding — Lebanon, Tennessee
The Amelia Concours d'Elegance — Amelia Island, Florida
Eastern Division AACA National Fall Meet — Hershey, Pennsylvania
NSRA Street Rod Nationals — Louisville, Kentucky
Grand National Roadster Show — Pomona, California
Iola Car Show — Iola, Wisconsin
The Gathering at the Roc — Bartlesville, Oklahoma
Woodward Dream Cruise — Detroit, Michigan
This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Best car show is Cruisin' The Coast in Mississippi, USA Today says