MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (WBTW) — One of Myrtle Beach’s most popular offseason events is leaving the city after a 23-year run, organizers announced Wednesday.
“Why move? Because we had to,” a Mustang Week spokesman said on Facebook. “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. Mustang Week deserves better than that.”
The event is shifting to Charlotte Motor Speedway’s zMAX Dragway, where it will be held Aug. 26-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 revenue.
“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 on Wednesday that the move is because the city of Myrtle Beach made it clear that “Mustang Week is not welcome.”
Since taking over the event in 2023, he said they’ve tried to rebuild their relationship with the city. However, they were told not to even apply for event permits as they would be rejected. He said it’s extremely difficult to run an event with a $30 million impact and not have city support.
Murrells Inlet resident Russell Dobbins said 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.”
in the 23 years Mustang Week has been hosted along the Grand Strand, businesses like the Beaver Bar in Murrells Inlet said they’ve never had any trouble and that 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 Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce for comment.
Mustang Week has gotten so popular that officials began a second show in Galveston, Texas earlier this year.
Adam Benson joined the News13 digital team in January 2024. He is a veteran South Carolina reporter with previous stops at the Greenwood Index-Journal, Post & Courier and The Sun News in Myrtle Beach. Adam is a Boston native and University of Utah graduate. Follow Adam on X, formerly Twitter, at @AdamNewshound12. See more of his work here.
Adrianna Lawrence is a multimedia journalist at News13. Adrianna is originally from Virginia Beach, Virginia, and joined the News13 team in June 2023 after graduating from Virginia Commonwealth University in May 2023. Keep up with Adrianna on Instagram, Facebook, and X, formerly Twitter. You can also read more of her work here.