Hey y’all!
Happy Friday! We hope y’all have had an excellent week this far and that the weekend will end up even better. We wanted to bring your attention to a really neat event coming up next weekend! On Saturday, October 13th, car enthusiasts will gather at the Renaissance in Ridgeland for the 10th annual Renaissance Euro Fest Classic European Auto and Motorcycle show. We got the chance to talk to Mike Marsh, the founder and director of the show. Keep reading for more on this event and make sure to mark your calendars!
Happy Friday! We hope y’all have had an excellent week this far and that the weekend will end up even better. We wanted to bring your attention to a really neat event coming up next weekend! On Saturday, October 13th, car enthusiasts will gather at the Renaissance in Ridgeland for the 10th annual Renaissance Euro Fest Classic European Auto and Motorcycle show. We got the chance to talk to Mike Marsh, the founder and director of the show. Keep reading for more on this event and make sure to mark your calendars!
{How did you come to start the Renaissance Euro Fest Classic Auto and Motorcycle show?}
As a collector of vintage Mercedes-Benz, I got tired of showing my cars at local hot rod, street rod and rat rod, etc., shows. Ten years ago I told myself if I could ever find a nice enough venue, I am going to start an all European show. About that time the Renaissance shopping center was being completed and I fell in love with the place.
{Why did you decide on the Renaissance as the location for the show?}
I thought the Renaissance was a perfect fit for an all European car show for a few different reasons. For starters, its Mediterranean architecture, European style fountain and clock tower, and its dedication to green space with magnificent flowers represented such a high quality lifestyle. Additionally the shopping center worked well with our needs logistically; the wide sidewalks with many handicap ramps were perfect to park car without obstructing shoppers.
Conversations with the Renaissance management team got off to a slow start when, after I started my presentation, I was asked, "you want to do what!? However, my vision and that of Jan Mattiace, wife of Managing Partner, Andrew Mattiace and Renee DeWeese, Marketing Director of the center, came together when we decided to go forward.
As a collector of vintage Mercedes-Benz, I got tired of showing my cars at local hot rod, street rod and rat rod, etc., shows. Ten years ago I told myself if I could ever find a nice enough venue, I am going to start an all European show. About that time the Renaissance shopping center was being completed and I fell in love with the place.
{Why did you decide on the Renaissance as the location for the show?}
I thought the Renaissance was a perfect fit for an all European car show for a few different reasons. For starters, its Mediterranean architecture, European style fountain and clock tower, and its dedication to green space with magnificent flowers represented such a high quality lifestyle. Additionally the shopping center worked well with our needs logistically; the wide sidewalks with many handicap ramps were perfect to park car without obstructing shoppers.
Conversations with the Renaissance management team got off to a slow start when, after I started my presentation, I was asked, "you want to do what!? However, my vision and that of Jan Mattiace, wife of Managing Partner, Andrew Mattiace and Renee DeWeese, Marketing Director of the center, came together when we decided to go forward.
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{What makes the Renaissance Euro Fest so special?}
The show is unique because it is one of the only shows of it type in the entire country. It is all European by approved selection. We do not make attendees or participants pay to be a part of the show, something that doesn’t happen often in the auto show world. In addition to European cars, we also have motorcycles. Every year, the show grows in the number of participants and attendees, we expect the 10th anniversary to be the biggest one yet! The show has attracted over 135,00 spectators that come in from 10 different states to view over 1,200 entries from five different countries. We have had entries from Chicago,Little Rock, Dallas, Houston, Lafayette, Baton Rouge, New Orleans, Pensacola, Atlanta, Chattanooga, Greenville, SC, St Louis, Memphis and smaller markets in between.
The show is unique because it is one of the only shows of it type in the entire country. It is all European by approved selection. We do not make attendees or participants pay to be a part of the show, something that doesn’t happen often in the auto show world. In addition to European cars, we also have motorcycles. Every year, the show grows in the number of participants and attendees, we expect the 10th anniversary to be the biggest one yet! The show has attracted over 135,00 spectators that come in from 10 different states to view over 1,200 entries from five different countries. We have had entries from Chicago,Little Rock, Dallas, Houston, Lafayette, Baton Rouge, New Orleans, Pensacola, Atlanta, Chattanooga, Greenville, SC, St Louis, Memphis and smaller markets in between.
{What can attendees expect to experience at this year’s show?}
This year’s show will have new events such as our "Outback" Class, which is outdoor type vehicles, campers and Land Rovers that will join in the fun of "Orvis Day" at the North end of the Renaissance. Also, on the East lawn, between the center and I-55 we will have the "Legends of the Interstates,” a collection of newer German marques (auto term for brand) consisting of Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, BMW, VW, and Audi. The cars featured in the “Legends of the Interstates” exhibit will be parked around a German Beer Garden, complete with German food and our "soon to be famous,” Bavarian band, The Delta Krauts.
Another new feature this year will be our "American Invited Marque" Class, which will feature Ford. We will have Fords on display starting with a 1911 "Brass Era" Model T Torpedo going all the way to a 2018 F40 and a Ford model for each decade between.
For more information on this event please visit their website.
This year’s show will have new events such as our "Outback" Class, which is outdoor type vehicles, campers and Land Rovers that will join in the fun of "Orvis Day" at the North end of the Renaissance. Also, on the East lawn, between the center and I-55 we will have the "Legends of the Interstates,” a collection of newer German marques (auto term for brand) consisting of Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, BMW, VW, and Audi. The cars featured in the “Legends of the Interstates” exhibit will be parked around a German Beer Garden, complete with German food and our "soon to be famous,” Bavarian band, The Delta Krauts.
Another new feature this year will be our "American Invited Marque" Class, which will feature Ford. We will have Fords on display starting with a 1911 "Brass Era" Model T Torpedo going all the way to a 2018 F40 and a Ford model for each decade between.
For more information on this event please visit their website.
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