The 19th annual Heart of the City Cruise In returns to historic downtown Mansfield on Saturday, Aug. 23 with family fun, live entertainment, and of course the endless display of classic cars.
Jamie Thompson, co-director of Downtown Mansfield, Inc., said the Cruise In typically draws approximately 14,000 visitors to downtown Mansfield, including car owners and spectators.
“We typically have 600 to 800 cars on display during this annual event,” she said. “The Heart of the City Cruise In is the second-oldest car show still actively occurring in the state of Ohio and was ranked number three in the mid-sized community car show category by Cruisin Times Magazine. Car owners and spectators travel here from all over the state of Ohio as well as the states contiguous to Ohio, including Indiana, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Kentucky.”
Registration for the Cruise In will begin at 8 a.m. the morning of the event and take place through 4 p.m. Pre-registration is $10 and includes a free t-shirt, and dash plaques will be given to the first 400 registered participants. Thompson noted the Cruise In has returned to a full-day format.
“Dedicated activities during the Cruise In include Kids Zone at the Richland Carrousel Park, 50/50 drawings and live entertainment with Back on Earth featuring Dane Donohue from 5:30 p.m. until 7:30 p.m. in the gazebo at Central Park,” said Thompson. “As the event is centered on cars, the primary attraction is the opportunity to view hundreds of classic cars, many of which are kept in garages for the majority of their existence.”
After the conclusion of live entertainment comes the award show, where more than 75 trophies will be given out by local judges including radio personalities Mr. Ed and Tommy Barnes, and Mayor Tim Theaker. Door prizes will also be given out throughout the day, and the Cruise In will wrap up at approximately 9 p.m. Saturday evening.
“Awards are chosen by longtime event volunteers,” said Thompson. “At this time, we do not judge based on year, make or model.”
Though the Cruise In is geared towards classic car enthusiasts, Thompson noted the event has become a place for family and friends.
“It is an extremely family-friendly event, and as the downtown business climate has strengthened and developed many of the independent businesses located within downtown have developed satellite events that take place during that help us attract, a wider more diverse audience.”
For additional information about the Heart of the City Cruise In, please contact 419-522-0099 or info@downtownmansfield.com.
