LONG BEACH, Miss. (WXXV) — Vintage cars, hot rods and plenty of throws in Long Beach, as thousands gathered for the city’s Cruisin’ the Coast parade on Monday afternoon.
“I’ll tell you, this is right up there with Mardi Gras,” said Karl Hager, a Long Beach resident and Cruisin’ participant.
As the week kicks off with events across the coast, large crowds gathered in Long beach for this year’s parade, getting a close-up look at unique vintage cars you wouldn’t find anywhere else. But, for many attendees, the cars are only part of the attraction. They say their favorite part of the event is the sense of community that comes along with it.
“It’s just kinda like a culture. All the people are friendly. You’re sitting there looking at cars and guys drive by and ask you about your car. You tell them your story, they tell you their story,” said Hager.
One Floridian says this year marks his fourth year attending Cruisin’, and he agrees — it’s the people that keep bringing him back year after year.
“Last year I met a friend down here. She introduced me to their family. She says ‘Oh no, you’re not staying in a hotel next year. You can stay with me.’ Last night I got to meet all of her family, and they were a blast,” said Michael Hester, visiting from Cape Coral, Florida. “But you talk about some nice people… I’m from Kentucky. I used to brag about how nice people from Kentucky were. They’ve got them beat. Down here they’re some of the nicest folks I’ve ever met in my life.”
Along with the drivers, each of these amazing cars has a story. For one nine-year-old girl, her car is filled with memories of her grandpa. She attended every Cruisin’ by his side until his passing in 2022.
Now, the car belongs to her. Her grandfather left it to her when he passed, and she plans to carry on the tradition — keeping his memory alive and returning to Cruisin’ for years to come.
“It feels really good to keep this car in the family and not let it go to waste, because if I let this car go to waste it would be heartbreaking, because my paw paw gave me this car, and I really, really miss him,” said Shana Anderson.
Hundreds of vintage cars came through downtown Long Beach — just one of many events bringing together people from across the country for a week of Cruisin’ fun.
WXXV will have live coverage from Cruisin’ events all week long. For a full list of events, click here.
Source: www.wxxv25.com
