Cruisin’ the Coast wins USA Today Fan Vote for 5th year

GULFPORT, MS — Cruisin’ the Coast (CTC) has been voted as the best car event in the country, announced CTC Executive Director, Woody Bailey.

In a month-long public vote, CTC came out on top of the USA Today 10 Best Readers’ Choice Awards for 2024. A total of 20 car events were nominated by USA Today editors.

“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,” said Bailey.  “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,” he explained.  “Our participants and spectators are top notch and have spread the word about CTC across the country. They tell our story the best.”

Other events in the running included prestigious events such as Back to the 50s Weekend, Triple Crown of Rodding, the Amelia Concours d’Elegance, NSRA Street Rod Nationals, Grand National Roadster Show and the Woodward Dream Cruise.  “To be nominated along with these great events is flattering in and of itself,” said Bailey.  “But to come out on top is very reassuring to us that we provide an event that is loved by its participants.”

Cruisin’ The Coast’s first event was in 1996, with 374 vehicles participating in the four-day event.  The 2023 event was 8 days long and registered 10,070 vehicles from 45 states, Canada, England and Germany.  This year’s event currently has more than 4,000 registered vehicles from 43 states and Canada.