CHICAGO, IL (WBBM Newsradio) – Along Monroe St., from Michigan Avenue to Columbus, visitors will first walk through a NASCAR Experience organized by the Chicago Loop Alliance. A small live performance stage, a high-quality temporary tattoo station, and a few extras, on the way to the NASCAR Village, free and open to the public in Grant Park’s Butler Field, where a number of activities are available for all ages during the entirety of the NASCAR Chicago Streetrace weekend.
NASCAR drivers have been stopping in to serve up autographs at the free and open to the public NASCAR Village, with an entrance at Columbus and Monroe and a number of NASCAR themed activities for all ages, including several NASCAR pace cars and prototypes strewn throughout Butler Field.
“It’s sick, it’s just a dream come true,” said Danny from New Orleans, “It’s awesome, I love it here.”
Dan and Hayden are father and son, respectively, visiting from St. Louis they both say that their city doesn’t have anything like this.
“It’s pretty awesome, pretty awesome. First time I’ve ever been this close,” said Dan
“It’s pretty amazing, I’ve never really seen one up close, I’ve only ever been to one race so this is the closest I’ve ever been. It’s awesome,” said Hayden.
There is something for everyone at the NASCAR Village, games, interactive pop-ups, and other activities including a fairly large installation coming from local artist led non-profit and WBBM Difference Maker, Paint the City, in which they have constructed large wooden cut out letters that say NASCAR, in the style of the Hollywood sign, that Paint the City Co-Founder Missy Perkins tells WBBM Newsradio, people can just come on up and make their own mark.
“The guests are meant to come and spray paint with our artists on them, all ages bring the little ones too, its all safe, water-based paint,” said Perkins.
Jason Hahn, with Blue Cross Blue Shield shared an overview of their remote-control car activation inside the NASCAR Village, the NASCAR replica remote control race cars operated mostly by children passing by, on a large track that simulates the Chicago street course.
West Loop Mom Ashley approves, “We love it, this is our third year coming and we always like to come early because my son Austin, he’s 5-years-old, and he loves to do all the play things, the kid zone inside, and he loves to take his picture with all the cars and everything, so it’s a great experience,” said Ashley.
Even Bella Koscal with the Field Museum has a few interesting things on site, including some life-sized casts of Sue the T. Rex.
“We have the lower jawbone here, it’s a 1-to-1 study replica, it’s pretty incredible, we also have Sue’s arm, so you can come shake hands with a T. Rex and feels the claws, feel the serration of the teeth. It’s something that no creature before ever got unless they were being eaten by T.
Rex, so it’s pretty incredible that we get to do that today.”, said Koscal.
Something a little more unique, visitors can sit down in a barber’s chair for a free beard trim. Justin Patricof, tour manager for Wahl, says it’s all about making the world a ‘Bearder Place’, by celebrating their 2024 Benevolent Beards contest finalist, Amos Albert.
“He’s with Operation Warrior Wishes, for every free trim we do here at the mobile barber shop, Wahl is donating $100 to his charity.”, Patricof said.
People without tickets to NASCAR Chicago street racing this weekend, can still get in on some of the fun, with the free and open to the public NASCAR Village in Butler Field, where family friendly NASCAR themed activations should keep the kids, and adults busy for a few hours with an entrance at Columbus and Monroe.
