Waveland’s return to Cruisin’ the Coast will link all 12 cities, food and hot rods
America’s Longest Block Party just got a little longer as Waveland rejoins Cruisin’ The Coast this year.
The last time Waveland hosted a Cruisin’ event was 2006, when the bridge over the Bay of St. Louis was still out from Hurricane Katrina. Cruisers had to travel south from I-10 to take part in Waveland’s combined Cruisin’ pit stop event and the Wave Fest celebration.
That was on the 10th anniversary of the antique and classic car show that has grown to become the largest event in Mississippi.
This year’s 27th Cruisin’ The Coast runs from Oct. 1-8 and Waveland’s event will be staged during lunchtime on Wednesday, Oct. 4.
It’s tentatively named “Hot Rods & Hospitality,” Mayor Jay Trapani said, playing on Waveland’s motto as ”the Hospitality City.”
For this first year back, he said the city is looking at food trucks and music staged along Coleman Avenue, the city’s unofficial main street.
The Blessing of the Cruisers is scheduled later that day in Diamondhead, he said, so people can easily cruise up Mississippi 603 and attend both events.
Getting in on the fun and funds
Trapani said he didn’t run for mayor on a platform of bringing back Cruisin’ The Coast but people are excited about creating a fun event and getting a share of the $36 million economic impact the car show provides to Mississippi.
Waveland was “ground zero” for Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and has seen a slow recovery.
“We don’t have a lot of businesses that have returned to Coleman Avenue,” Trapani said, so cruisers and spectators will be able to order lunch from the food trucks and visit the Ground Zero Katrina Museum and Sugar Pops Baking Company for sweet treats, coffee and snacks.
He thinks the cruisers will discover the affordability of Waveland, he said, and the beauty of the beach.
“The Cruisers love Hancock County,” he said, and driving the stretch of road along the beach from the Cruisin’ site in downtown Bay St. Louis through Waveland to the Silver Slipper Casino.
Uniting the Coast
“We’re very pleased that Waveland is again involved with Cruisin,” Woody Bailey, executive director of Cruisin’ The Coast, said after the aldermen voted unanimously Tuesday to rejoin the car show.
Bailey said it will give Waveland exposure and benefit the city’s redevelopment efforts. It also will unite the Coast, he said.
“With their coming aboard the spirit of the Coast is shining strongly will all cities in all three counties participating in the event,” Bailey said.
Rather than concentrating events in just two or three cities, Cruisin’ The Coast stretches the crowds and the economic impact across South Mississippi.
It’s about 64 miles from Pascagoula to Waveland, a drive that will take about an hour on Interstate 10 but much longer along the beach, where people are staked out along U.S. 90 to watch the cruisers pass.
Waveland won’t be a stamping venue cruisers must visit to qualify for the drawing for thousands of dollars, but instead will be a one-day event like Moss Point, Gautier and Diamondhead.
In 2022, a record 9,618 cars and trucks were registered for Cruisin’ The Coast. Bailey says pre-registration is 104 ahead of this time last year, with car owners registered from 34 states and Canada.
