Cruisin’ the Coast voted best car show in the nation by USA Today. Jay Leno is a fan.

The best car show in the country was announced Friday by USA Today and once again it’s Cruisin’ The Coast, celebrated each October across South Mississippi.

This is the fourth time Cruisin’ The Coast was the USA Today readers’ choice for best in the U.S., and the antique and classic car show also came in second one year, said Woody Bailey, executive director.

Bailey said the USA Today award is a reflection of all the years of hard work by the Cruisin’ board, the volunteers from local car clubs and the people of the Mississippi Gulf Coast who are so hospitable and welcoming.

“Everyone who comes to our area just loves it and wants to come back,” he said.

Comedian Jay Leno was impressed when he joined the event in 2022, Bailey said. Leno was performing at Beau Rivage Resort & Casino in Biloxi and he and his wife rode across the bridge to Ocean Springs to see what Cruisin’ The Coast is all about.

When they turned off U.S. 90 and got in the line of antique and classic cars rolling down main street, Bailey said Leno rolled down the window and started interacting with the crowds. He asked car owners about their paint jobs and carburetors as the cars crawled along, under the oak trees, before he got out to see some of the cars up close.

This is the 27th year for Cruisin’ The Coast that will be held Oct. 1-8.

How Cruisin’ won

A panel of experts and 10Best editors from USA Today chose the 20 finalists from hundreds of car shows across the country. People could vote online once each day for their favorite.

“Cruisin’ The Coast is considered America’s largest block party, the USA Today announcement says of the “massive car show” along the beach highway of the Mississippi Gulf Coast.

“Cruise between the different venues, each a festival in and of itself, and catch live music, food, merchandise, a car auction, swap meet, parade and plenty of car talk,” USA Today says.

Cruisin’ The Coast beat out MSRA Back to the 50’s Weekend car show at St. Paul, Minnesota, which took second place, along with car shows in Los Angeles, Detroit and other locations.

Pinnacle Award

Just a week before the USA Today award, Cruisin’ The Coast was named Outstanding Event in Mississippi by the Sales & Marketing Professionals Pine Belt. An out-of-state panel of judges review and select the finalists and the winner is recognized for excellence, professionalism, and outstanding achievement in sales, marketing and community engagement.

Cruisin’ was started in 1996 by Coast business and casino leaders to extend the tourism season. It had 374 registered vehicles.

Baley said the count of pre-registered vehicles would top 4,000 this week, which is about 200 more than this time last year, when 9,816 registerd cars came from 44 states and Canada and the first from England.

“We have all 12 cities working together and all three counties,” Bailey said. Waveland this year will join “America’s Largest Block Party,” sponsoring an event from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. on the Wednesday of Cruisin’.

People complain about the traffic but not the economic impact of Cruisin’ that is measured every five years. It grew to $36 million in 2022 from $28.6 million in 2017, just from out-of-state visitors.