Cars & Coffee cuts the gas on revving engines

University Town Center is well known for the Santa’s Grand Arrival Parade, but there’s a lesser known, more informal parade that takes place every month. 

Each second Saturday, The Mall at UTC hosts Sarasota Cars & Coffee from 8-10 a.m. in the parking lot near Dillard’s. Around 9:30 a.m., spectators start lining both sides of the exit lane to watch the cars leave. 

Part of the ritual includes the crowd yelling, “Rev it!”

Unless event staff or Sarasota police officers are gesturing to keep it down, drivers often oblige.

A hand signal and a stern face are the typical extent of the warning. But during the Nov. 8 event, the response from deputies was noticeably different. 

Cars that revved their engines were pursued and pulled over to be warned. 

Some members of the crowd booed nearly as loud as the sirens, but Dana Judge, media specialist for the Sarasota Sheriff’s Office, noted that no citations were issued." 

Deputies merely informed the drivers of the potential hazards associated with loud noises and reckless driving in the area,” Judge said in an email.

Photo by Lesley Dwyer

Deputies on the scene told event attendees that the Mote Science Education Aquarium has an open roof, so the noise could disturb the animals. Mote SEA opened Oct. 8. 

Mote declined to comment, and the East County Observer’s inquiry to Cars & Coffee went unanswered, but a post to the Sarasota Cars & Coffee Facebook page Nov. 10 addressed the issue.

“We are well aware that several people were stopped by the Sarasota County (FL) Sheriff's officers while exiting the event for revving, and right in front of those officers mind you. We understand everyone loves cars and wants to hear them, but we have repeatedly asked everyone to exercise some self control and keep them quiet while exiting,” the post reads. 

“With the addition of the new aquarium and the open air manatee habitat at the top, the mall, hotel and surrounding businesses, we must remain respectful to our neighbors. We cannot allow this event to get shut down because of a few who can’t control themselves.

“In addition to the normal police presence, Cars & Coffee will be posting event rules at the entrance and exit moving forward. The post notes that the event staff “will encourage law enforcement to remove any offenders and ban them from all future events.”

While Mote declined to provide any information on the impact noise has on manatees and other marine animals, research shows that human generated noise can cause stress and behavioral changes. A 2023 study by the National Marine Mammal Foundation examines methods for “acoustic welfare monitoring” for marine mammals in captivity.

“Since the start, we’ve worked with the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office to keep the event safe and enjoyable for everyone,” said Julie Fanning, marketing director for Benderson Development Company. “Their onsite presence at every event allows them to quickly address any disruptive behavior — including excess noise — so it doesn’t impact our neighbors or guests.”

Fanning noted that Cars & Coffee has been a great partner to Benderson, and the event has raised more than $35,000 for nonprofits each year for the past four years.