In addition to two days of Family-Fun, NASCAR Chicago Street Race and Choose Chicago to Sponsor Independence Day Fireworks at Navy Pier
CHICAGO – NASCAR Chicago Street Race, Choose Chicago, and Navy Pier are teaming up to bring the excitement of the 2024 Chicago Street Race to area families and visiting fans with an expanded, two-day NASCAR Family Fest at Navy Pier on Tuesday, July 2, and Wednesday, July 3. From 2 pm. to 9 p.m. both days, guests can enjoy a range of free, family-friendly activities, from photo ops with NASCAR show cars, to a live competition among top iRacing pros, a new Kids Gaming Garage, remote control car racing on a scaled replica of the Chicago Street Course, and more — all culminating in the Pier‘s special Independence Day (July 3) fireworks, sponsored by NASCAR and Choose Chicago.
“There is nothing more iconic than summertime in Chicago, so we are honored to be a part of this year‘s world-famous Independence Day Festivities at Navy Pier, alongside our partners at Choose Chicago,” said Julie Giese, Chicago Street Race President. “As a member of the Chicago community year-round, we are excited to once again bring families from all over the world to this city and help introduce them to all of Chicago‘s incredible cultural offerings.”
2024 NASCAR Chicago Street Race Family Fest highlights include:
eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series Live Event (July 2 at 7 p.m.) — Four professional iRacing drivers (top 40 in the world) will battle on simulators for the win. The competition starts at 7 p.m. sharp outside on Navy Pier‘s Wave Wall Stage. Fans can tune in to eNASCAR.com/live starting at 6:30 p.m. to hear an emcee calling all the race action.
Chicago Street Race Remote Control Car Course (July 2-3) — Kids (and adults, too) can test their skills on the Chicago Street Race remote control car courses. Fans are invited to battle with friends and family with official NASCAR RC cars on a mat that outlines the actual Chicago Street Course.
NASCAR Kids Gaming Garage (July 2-3) — New for 2024, the NASCAR Gaming Garage will engage all ages, especially young gamers, and gamers at heart. Three screens and four gaming consoles, each with their own controller and seating area, will offer side-by-side competitive gaming with various NASCAR games including Roblox, NASCAR Rush, and NASCAR Heat.
NASCAR Kids LEGOu00ae Build and Race Station (July 2-3) — Drivers, start your engines! The LEGO Build and Race encourages kids to build their dream LEGO car and race it down the track to compete with their friends and family.
Kids Activity Station (July 2-3) — With plenty of activities for kids to explore during a family‘s pit stop around the Pier, NASCAR Chicago will be handing out free NASCAR themed activity booklets, temporary tattoos, paper helmets from favorite NASCAR drivers, and more.
NASCAR Race Cars (July 2-3) — Fans can get an up-close look and take photos with NASCAR show cars on the Pier‘s East End Plaza.
Official NASCAR Merchandise — Navy Pier tenant partner Chicago Sport & Novelty is an official NASCAR licensed merchandise location, carrying four official race shirts and two hats with the Chicago Street Race logo.
Independence Day Fireworks (July 3 at 9 p.m.) — Presented by NASCAR and Choose Chicago, Navy Pier‘s Independence Day fireworks will light up the skyline with unrivaled spectacle. Navy Pier was again named “best place in the country to view fireworks” in USA Today‘s 2024 10Best Readers‘ Choice Travel Awards.
Click here more event information and images.
“The eyes of the world are on Chicago this summer,” said Navy Pier President & CEO Marilynn Gardner. “Coming together with NASCAR and Choose Chicago to host the Chicago Street Race Family Fest affords us the opportunity to make this world-class event accessible to all Chicago-area fans, while casting a positive light on the vibrancy of our city‘s year-round cultural and recreational offerings.”
“At Choose Chicago through our Chicago Sports Commission, we eagerly anticipate the second NASCAR Chicago Street Race and the occasion to once again showcase the best of Chicago to locals, visitors, and viewers from around the world,” said Rich Gamble, Interim President and CEO of Choose Chicago. “We are thrilled to partner with NASCAR and Navy Pier to help deliver an expanded Family Fest and bring the excitement of this unique sporting event to more Chicagoans and visitors as we begin Independence Day celebrations and kick off race weekend.”
The second-ever NASCAR Cup Series street race in the history of NASCAR, the Chicago Street Race will return to downtown Chicago the weekend of July 6 and 7. The 2024 event will once again take competitors past and through many of the city‘s most renowned landmarks on Michigan Avenue, South Columbus Drive, South DuSable Lake Shore Drive, and the start-finish line near Buckingham Fountain. The Cup Series will be joined by the NASCAR Xfinity Series as part of a one-of-a-kind sports and entertainment festival with global music headliners Keith Urban, The Chainsmokers, The Black Keys, Lauren Alaina, Buddy Guy, and a special House Music 40th Anniversary Showcase. For more information, visit NASCARChicago.com.
About Chicago Street Race
The Chicago Street Race is home to the first-ever NASCAR Cup Series street race in the 75-year history of NASCAR. Located in downtown Chicago, the 2024 event will once again take competitors past and through many of the city‘s most renowned downtown landmarks on Michigan Avenue, South Columbus Drive, South DuSable Lake Shore Drive and the start-finish line near Buckingham Fountain. The Cup Series will be joined by the NASCAR Xfinity Series as part of a one-of-a-kind sports and entertainment festival with global music headliners Keith Urban, The Chainsmokers, The Black Keys, Lauren Alaina, Buddy Guy, and a special House Music 40th Anniversary Showcase, July 6-7, 2024. For more information, visit NASCARChicago.com.
About NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) is the sanctioning body for the No. 1 form of motorsports in the United States and owner of 14 of the nation‘s major motorsports entertainment facilities. NASCAR sanctions races in three national series (NASCAR Cup Seriesu2122, NASCAR Xfinity Seriesu2122, and NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Seriesu2122), four international series (NASCAR Brasil Sprint Race, NASCAR Canada Series, NASCAR Mexico Series, NASCAR Whelen Euro Series), four regional series (ARCA Menards Series, ARCA Menards Series East & West and the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour) and a local grassroots series (NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series). The International Motor Sports Associationu2122 (IMSAu00ae) governs the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championshipu2122, the premier U.S. sports car series. NASCAR also owns Motor Racing Network, Racing Electronics, and ONE DAYTONA. Based in Daytona Beach, Florida, with offices in five cities across North America, NASCAR sanctions more than 1,200 races annually in 11 countries and more than 30 U.S. states.
For more information visit www.NASCAR.com and www.IMSA.com, and follow NASCAR on Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, X and Snapchat.
About Choose Chicago
Choose Chicago is the official sales and marketing organization responsible for promoting Chicago as a global visitor and meetings destination, leveraging the city‘s unmatched assets to ensure the economic vitality of the city, its residents and our partner business community. Follow @choosechicago on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok and X/Twitter. For more information, visit choosechicago.com.
About Navy Pier
Located on Lake Michigan, Navy Pier is the top nonprofit tourism destination in the Midwest, stretching more than six city blocks and typically welcoming nearly 8 million annual guests. Originally opened in 1916 as a shipping and recreation facility, this Chicago landmark showcases more than 50 acres of parks, restaurants, attractions, retail shops, sightseeing and dining cruise boats, exposition facilities, and more. The Pier celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2016 with the unveiling of the iconic Centennial Wheel, Polk Bros Park, Fifth Third Bank Family Pavilion and Peoples Energy Welcome Pavilion. Today, Navy Pier continues to usher in its second century with ongoing Pier-wide redevelopment efforts — including Sable, a 223-room Hilton hotel, new restaurant and retail partnerships, and thrilling new attractions such as Flyover Chicago. The Pier is proud to present free, year-round cultural programming designed to inspire, educate, and connect communities across the city and globe. Click here to donate to Navy Pier, a mission-driven 501(c)(3) organization. For more information, visit NavyPier.org.
