Just when you thought there wasn't a large, week long convention for one specific car model...there is. Mustang Week was founded by Rodney Melton 15 years ago, and is a convention hosted every year in the hot vacation spot of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. This year, the convention ran from July 18th to the 24th with various events each day, specifically for Mustangs. Approximately 7,000 Mustangs were brought out to this convention for their proud owners to show off their rare models and exclusive modifications. The convention also has almost 90 sponsors, including B.F. Goodrich, Ford Racing, Mickey Thompson, Gibson Performance Exhaust, Jax Wax, and the Mustang Club of America. Throughout the week, there are a few different events that owners and spectators can attend, some free and some with a small admissions fee. But don't worry, you don't need to own a Mustang (or even understand much about cars in general) to attend any of these events! Here are just some of the cool events that take place over the course of the week:

1. Stifflers Fun Runs and Gateway Classic Autocross at the Myrtle Beach Speedway

This took place on the first two days of Mustang Week. Thousands of Mustangs lined up at the Myrtle Beach Speedway to partake in the Fun Run and Classic Autocross. The track was set up so that multiple Mustangs could be out on the track, one behind the other, and traveling at a safe speed, but still pretty fast! It was pretty much like a massive parade of Mustangs from every year. In the center part of the track, there is a small section for the Autocross, which is a judged event, thousands of more Mustangs are lined up with their hood's popped open, and a select few vendors are set up with some gorgeous models of older Mustangs on display. Big vendors that had displays at the track included Ford, Monster Energy, Mickey Thompson, B.F. Goodrich, Nitto Tire, Modify My Stang, Roush Performance, and Procharger. Professional drifter, Vaughn Gittin Jr, was also stationed at the Monster Energy booth signing autographs and taking pictures with fans!

2. Burn-out contests

These contests were held at the Darlington Dragway for one day only. Dangerous, but thrilling to watch, the burn-out contests were one of the most exciting things to take place during the week. Although the contests were not judged, it was always clear who the winner was!

3. Mickey Thompson Drag Night

The Mickey Thompson Drag Night is one of the most fun events to attend, even if you don't participate! This event allows those who participate to run along the track as many times as they please (and that time will allow), giving them the chance to test the skill and speed of their car in a fun, but safe, way!

4. SVT Cruise-in

Considered to be a cannot-miss event, the SVT Cruise-in is the East Cost's largest Mustang and SVT cruise-in, with almost 3,000 Mustangs in attendance at the Myrtle Beach Mall. Spectators and vendors get hours to walk around and observe the thousands of beautiful Mustang models that are parked at this car show. Because it takes place on the second to last day of the convention, it is basically a preview to the Car Award Show that takes place the next day.

5. Car Award Show

The Car Award Show is the grand finale of Mustang Week. Also held at the Myrtle Beach Mall, the award show includes categories such as:

• ’64 ½-’66 Best Saleen
• ’67-’68 Best Roush
• ’69-’70 Best Steeda
• ’71-’73 Best Ford Specialty
• ’74-’78 Best Lightning
• ’87-’93 Best Engine
• ’94-’98 Best Paint
• ’99-’04 Best Specialty
• ’05-’09 Best SVT
• ’10-’14 Long Distance Award
• ’03-’04 Cobra
• ’07-’16 Shelby

Along with these awards given by Late Model Restoration, all of the vendors and sponsors are set up around the parking lot with fun raffles and cool freebies for the owners and spectators. Gary Patterson, Vice President of Shelby USA, even made his rounds and signed some cars!

6. Meet-ups and hang-outs

There were a handful of meet-ups and hang-outs that took place throughout the week for every type of Mustang, right down to the very specific type of color or modifications done to the vehicle!

The Air-Lifted Suspension System Modification meet-up took place at the Palace Theater Tuesday night with just a couple hundred Mustangs in attendance, considering it is not a common modification. This specific modification allows the car to go from stock height to ground level at the push of a button, which lowers the center of gravity so the driver can take harder and sharper turns with an enhancement on the overall handling of the vehicle.

An unofficial all-Mustang meet-up took place at the Big Beaver Bar on Wednesday night, and a few hundred cars were able to attend before a massive thunder storm rained on the parade.

The Grabber Blue Mustang meet-up was an unofficial meet that took place Friday night at the Palace Theater across from the famous Broadway at the Beach. 34 Grabber Blue Mustangs were in attendance and took part in a massive group photo to be published in a national car magazine.

So, whether you're a Mustang owner or not, there are plenty of exciting events to attend during this exciting week in Myrtle Beach. I, for one, don't know very much about cars, let alone Mustangs (even though my brother is a proud owner of a 2010 Grabber Blue Mustang GT Track Pack, V8 4.6 Liter) and I still enjoyed looking at all of the incredible models that were out and about at the convention. It was truly an experience I never thought I'd have, nor did I ever think I'd see so many Mustangs in just one place! For more information, check out the Mustang Week website! It's a convention a car fan does not want to miss!

...And for those of you who couldn't care less about cars, there's always the beach!