MANSFIELD — Hundreds of vehicles line Mansfield’s Park Avenue West and surrounding streets each August for the annual Heart of the City Cruise-In.
This year’s gathering of hot rods, classic cars and vintage vehicles — set for Aug. 23 — will take place about four miles from downtown Mansfield due to on-going work related to the city’s Main Street Corridor Improvement project.
Excavators and equipment actively began working on the project earlier this month.
Cathy Cutlip-Mills, who’s heavily involved with organizing the event, told the Richland County Board of Commissioners on Thursday that the cruise-in will be located at the Richland County Fairgrounds for the next two years.
“It’s a great venue,” Cutlip-Mills said. “Everything is flat and it’s all consolidated.”
She said there should not be any issues fitting the amount of cars the cruise-in displays — about 700 — around the fairgrounds.
A trio of additional events are also planned for Aug. 23 during the cruise-in, including a swap meet, craft show and sports card show.
The annual car show will remain free to attend for spectators, Cutlip-Mills said.
Spectators in need of assistance to travel from the parking lots into the fairgrounds can be transported via passenger golf carts.
Cafeterias at the fairgrounds will be open the day of the cruise-in, along with a few specialty food vendors, she said.
“It should be a real fun day,” Cutlip-Mills said. “We get a lot (of spectators) downtown, but we’re hoping they do come (to the fairgrounds).”
Cruise-In organizer requests county funding
While meeting Thursday morning with commissioners, Cutlip-Mills made a funding request on behalf of the cruise-in’s car committee for $2,000.
She said the request was made to help cover some of the event’s expenses, including t-shirts, trophies and entertainment.
Commissioner Tony Vero said no action could be taken Thursday in regards to the ask.
“We need to first look and see if it’s even a legally permissible expense,” Vero said.
“For example, we (commissioners) could not even contribute to the fireworks for New Year’s Eve and that was taking place in (Mansfield’s) Central Park,” he said.
Both Cutlip-Mills and commissioners agreed to gather necessary information to determine if a donation to the show would be permissible — should commissioners desire to make one.