“Why move? Because we had to. We simply couldn’t keep the event going in Myrtle Beach. We tried, but year after year it became harder to operate and impossible to grow,” a Mustang Week spokesman said on Facebook. “Mustang Week deserves better than that.”
The event is shifting to Charlotte Motor Speedway’s zMAX Dragway, and will be held next year Aug. 26 through Aug. 29.
“Charlotte wants Mustang Week, and they are giving us the space and support to go big,” event organizers said. “That means drag racing, drifting, burnouts, autocross, cruising, and an awesome show all in one place.”
Launched in 2002, as a cruise-in style family function with 150 cars, Mustang Week has grown into a massive tourism draw, bringing in an estimated 30,000 people and $30 million worth of revenues.
“If you’ve ever been to Mustang Week, you know it’s not about a location. It’s about the people and the passion, and that isn’t going to change,” officials said Wednesday. “We’ll miss Myrtle, and we know the community will too, but Charlotte is the future, and it’s going to be incredible.”
Mustang Week owner James Lawrence told News13 Wednesday the move is because the City of Myrtle Beach has made it clear “Mustang Week is not welcome.”
He says since taking over the event in 2023 they’ve tried to rebuild their relationship with the city but were told to not even apply for event permits as they would be rejected. He adds it’s extremely difficult to run an event with a $30 million impact and not have city support.
Murrells Inlet resident and Mustang Week goer Russell Dobbins says losing the event will hit businesses, hotels and the community hard.
“I think the city administration has failed Myrtle Beach,” he said. “I think that they’re letting everybody down and not looking ahead in advancement. If we don’t bring in tourism and things to do, then we’re not going to be happy here with taxes keep going up.”
Businesses like The Beaver Bar in Murrells Inlet say in the 23 years Mustang Week has been hosted along the Grand Strand they’ve never had any trouble, adding the event has provided many jobs and a boost in profits.
“Us down here in Georgetown County, 13 miles south, we you know, we look at things a little bit differently, owner Leslye Beaver said. “We need the financial support, the businesses, the restaurants down here in the MarshWalk need the financial support. So I don’t know. I don’t really know what the issues are with Myrtle Beach.”
News13 asked Myrtle Beach mayor Brenda Bethune for comment and when asked why the event was moved to North Carolina she said she didn’t know and to ask the event promoter.
We also reached out to the Chamber of Commerce for comment.
Mustang Week has gotten so popular that officials began a second show in Galveston, Texas earlier this year.
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