Long Beach Holds 18th Annual Cruisin’ the Coast Parade
Hundreds of classic cars lined Jeff Davis Avenue in Long Beach for the 18th Annual Cruisin’ the Coast Parade. Thousands of onlookers cheered on their favorite cars and spent time with loved ones. Sue Primm, Guest Services for Edgewater Mall, says, "I just love the atmosphere, seeing the cars from all over the United States, just the camaraderie, everyone has a good time, but it’s wholesome, family time."
Ricky Williams of Harrison County Mosquito Control says, "We been doing this since they started about 18 years ago. I have a ‘68 Camaro and we don’t miss none of them."
The Long Beach School District even let school out early so that students could enjoy the day with their families, but not everyone was there for family time. Some people were there for the cars. Anthony Hill, a mechanic, says, "Everything is here, every different kind of car you can think of, what you can do with them, what’s been done, gives you all kind of ideas for different projects."
Events like Cruisin’ the Coast bring thousands of classic cars down to the Gulf Coast and sitting in one of those babies, anyone could look cool. The cars do more than just make the Coast look cool. The thousands of cars have thousands of owners and their families who will bring a much needed boost to the Coast’s economy. Williams also says, "This Coast was in bad shape after Hurricane Katrina, and this Cruisin’ the Coast helps a lot to boost the economy back up."
As if food, fun, cars, and family weren’t enough, there’s still another reason to visit Cruisin’ the Coast…the memories. Primm closes, "When I was young, I had a ‘65 Ford Ranchero and I saw one of those a while ago and it brought back so many memories."
The Long Beach parade and Cruisin’ the Coast have been around for almost two decades, and car owners and residents look forward to many more years.
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