Mayor Welcomes "Cruiz-In" To Dalton, Car Show Opens To Public
Thursday, July 28th, 2022
The "Georgia Mountain Moonshine Cruiz-In" car show is now open at the Dalton Convention Center. The event is bringing car enthusiasts from around the country together for three days of sun, fun, and music with classic cars on display throughout the property along with vendors and a classic car auction.
Mayor David Pennington joined other city leaders Thursday morning to welcomed event organizer Rakes Parrish and all of the car show participants and visitors to Dalton. He complimented the organizers of the event along with the city and county staff who worked to plan the event which was first announced in November, with planning beginning in earnest in February.
"You know you're getting old when it seems like only three months since we went to Blairsville to meet with Rakes (and event organizers)," said Mayor Pennington. "It's a testament to your team, to (city administrator) Andrew Parker's team, the county, everybody for putting together something this big this quickly because we know it's going to be a big hit in Dalton and Whitfield County. Thank you all for coming."
Caption: Mayor David Pennington speaks Thursday at the Georgia Mountain Moonshine Cruiz-In to welcome visitors
"This is really a community-wide effort," said Dalton tourism director Margaret Thigpen of the work to bring the "Cruiz-In" to Dalton. "We look forward to welcoming you over the next couple of days and making you feel part of our community."
The parking lots at the Convention Center were filling with some beautiful classic cars and their owners on Thursday morning as the event kicked off. Inside the Convention Center, featured cars are also on display in advance of this weekend's Vicari Classic Car Auction which will also be shown on CNBC. Vendors are both inside and outside of the building, with face painting for kids and a lot of different items for sale both car-related and also having nothing to do with cars at all.
There is also live music scheduled over the next several days, with a DJ playing classic tunes that can be heard all around the Convention Center property. There's also the chance to meet automotive celebrities such as NASCAR racing legend Jody Ridley and Dalton native Linda Vaughn who rose to fame in the motorsports world as the "First Lady of Motorsports" and "Miss Hurst Golden Shifter" beginning in the 1960s.
"I don't forget where I come from," Vaughn said Thursday morning as she welcome "Cruiz-In" participants to her home town. "I just don't know where I'm going," she added with a laugh.
"The cars are gorgeous, and I'm really proud to be here," she said.
Caption: Some of the classic cars on display are pictured. For more pictures from the first day of the "Cruiz-In" click here to see a gallery on the City of Dalton's Facebook page.
Admission for the event is $15 per person for a day pass. There will be no parking available at the Convention Center. Parking will be available on the Dalton State College campus with a shuttle to take people to and from the event. To exhibit a car it costs $60 which includes two admission wrist bands, entry for prize drawings, parking pass, dash plaque, and souvenir sticker. Car owners may register at the Convention Center.
The Dalton Convention Center is located at 2211 Tony Ingle Parkway in Dalton.
Event schedule:
Thursday, July 28th:
- 8 am-5 pm - Dalton Convention Center event site opens to spectators and participants
- 8 am-4 pm - Registration at the Convention Center event site
- Featured vehicles on display inside Convention Center venue
- 10 am - Grand Opening on main stage
- 10:30 am - 4 pm - Meet and Greet with Linda Vaughn, "Miss Hurst Golden Shifter", NASCAR & racing legend Jody Ridley
Friday, July 29th:
- 8 am-5 pm - Dalton Convention Center event site opens to spectators and participants
- 8 am-4 pm - Registration at the Convention Center event site
- Featured vehicles red carpet display inside Convention Center venue
- 9 am - Vicari Collector Car Auction - Convention Center lower level arena
- 10:30 am - 4 pm - Meet and Greet with Linda Vaughn, "Miss Hurst Golden Shifter", NASCAR & racing legend Jody Ridley, Joe and Amanda Martin from "Iron Resurrection" TV series
- 1 pm - Live music by "Highway 96" band on main stage
- 6 pm - Downtown parade and block party with live music and participant parking (sign up for parade at the DJ trailer at the Convention Center site Thursday or before 3 pm on Friday)
Saturday, July 30th:
- 8 am-5 pm - Dalton Convention Center event site opens to spectators and participants
- 8 am-4 pm - Registration at the Convention Center event site
- Featured vehicles red carpet display inside Convention Center venue
- 9 am - Vicari Collector Car Auction - Convention Center lower level arena
- 10:30 am - 4 pm - Meet and Greet with Linda Vaughn, "Miss Hurst Golden Shifter", NASCAR & racing legend Jody Ridley, Joe and Amanda Martin from "Iron Resurrection" TV series
- 1 pm - Live music by Todd Herrendeen on main stage
- 4:30 pm - Main stage awards, cash & prize drawings
