Saltillo’s Annual Downtown Git-Down

SALTILLO, Miss. (WCBI)- It’s a car lovers dream. Saltillo’s Annual Downtown Git-down brings together car enthusiasts and the community.

Food trucks, pony rides, and of course cars.

Downtown Saltillo was alive with activity as warm temperatures and no rain brought folks to the 4th annual Downtown Git-Down Car Show. There were plenty of vintage cars, like this 1940 Chevrolet whose current owner wasn’t even alive when it was made, and it was a great place to socialize these two dogs clearly were excited to run into each other. The event is put on by Saltillo Main Street.

“It has been one of our most successful events since we’ve been a Main Street Community, a car show because Saltillo has kind of an old feel I guess maybe. This was something that we knew there were people in the community that had cars and take pride in their cars so four years ago it was a suggestion, and we went with it, and so it’s proved to be successful,” Lindsey Hines.

And mayor Rex Smith says there are several reasons why it is great to live in Saltillo.

“One of our phrases that we use or our mantra is that getting away from it all is not so far after all. When you get into Saltillo, the hustle and bustle of every day can slow down. Now I know families are busy, but they’ve got great places great parks to take their kids to for their kids to be in organized sports. We have a great park and rec. There’s just so many things that are good about living in Saltillo,” Mayor Rex Smith.

Scottie Thompson is President of the Saltillo Main Street Association and owner of House of Bounce.

“It just brings people out here that would normally wouldn’t come down to Saltillo to show all that we have available here. It’s a quiet community. But we have outstanding dining and shopping opportunities. We have stuff that no other places have places like House of Bounce,” said Thompson.

Like all communities in northeast Mississippi leaders in Saltillo believe it is important to have events like this to bring folks together and to stimulate the local economy.

“There are doors open downtown to all of our retail stores. There are a couple of buildings for sale, so this is a great way too to let people that might be looking for a piece of real estate in Saltillo to see what we have to offer,” said Hines.

“When people come down here they see these shops, and even if they don’t shop them today they remember them they tell their friends about them, and they make a trip to come down,” said Thompson.

“There’s a lot of walk through traffic today. They’ll be people that remember all the great shops we’ve got in downtown Saltillo now. They’ll drive out by the highway. They’ll see the shops of the businesses out there. And so the next time instead of going somewhere else they’ll come here and check us out and spend some money here in Saltillo. Buy local,” said Mayor Smith.

And the Saltillo community came together when the February flooding brought extensive damage to the area.