Cruisin packing party prepares for 9,000 cars

D’IBERVILLE, MS (WLOX) - Sailors currently stationed in Pascagoula. Local car club members. Honor students from area high schools. And a team of dedicated volunteers. They all spent Saturday morning getting South Mississippi ready for Cruisin the Coast.

The 22nd annual classic car showcase starts September 30. On Saturday morning, about 200 people were at the D’Iberville Civic Center. That facility is where they participated in a packing party. The volunteers filled 9,000 bags with sponsor information, schedules, and maps. These bags will be given to car owners who’ve registered for Cruisin the Coast.

Nearly 7.200 car owners pre-registered their antique vehicles for the 2018 party. Another 1,300 will register once the eight day event begins. Cruisin organizers decided 9,000 party bags should be filled, in case registration numbers top their predictions.

“We feel pretty good about it,” Woody Bailey said as he watched the packing party volunteers complete a key part of the behind the scenes action.

A year ago, tropical weather forced Cruisin the Coast to end a day-and-a-half early. Bailey is hopeful Mother Nature will cooperate with this year’s party. “I’ve still got a few more days left,” he said, thinking about what’s still on his to-do list between now and next Sunday’s official start of Cruisin the Coast.

Cruisin the Coast begins September 30.(Photo Source: Cruisin the Coast)

The classic car showcase is from September 30 through October 7. Events include the Long Beach parade, the annual block parties in Biloxi and Gulfport, the swap meet at the Coliseum, plus the daily cruise stops in Bay St. Louis, Biloxi, D’Iberville, and Ocean Springs,