Posted 6 months ago in Trending, nascar chicago, events, Things to Do
4 MIN READ – NASCAR Chicago Street Race announced that it will partner with Chicago Loop Alliance and JoRand (founded by local restauranteurs Victor Love and Mark Rand) to expand this year’s NASCAR Village, the free, public experience in Butler Field throughout race weekend. NASCAR Village – which is free with-or-without a Chicago Street Race ticket – will feature a wide array of Chicago restaurants, local retailers, official partners, and interactive NASCAR experiences from 8:45 a.m. to 8 p.m. on July 6, and 9 a.m. to the Checked Flag on July 7.
“NASCAR Village at Butler Field is an opportunity for all Chicagoans to learn more about NASCAR, enjoy local vendors, and take part in the excitement of the Chicago Street Race Weekend, even without a ticket,” said Julie Giese, Chicago Street Race President. “Our aim is to utilize the Chicago Street Race as a platform to showcase local restaurants, retailers, and partners, and in doing so – help expand their exposure to a broader market.”
As a part of the expanded Butler Field experience, the Chicago Street Race will feature dining options from across the city of Chicago, including Banato, Chef Maurice, Chicago’s Dog House, Churro Factory, Cool and Smooth, Freddie's, Harold’s Chicken 88, Quang Noodles, Robinson's No. 1 Ribs, Soul Veg City, Tacotlan, and Tandoor Char House.
“We take a tremendous amount of pride in our local food scene, and the Chicago Street Race is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to showcase our culinary talents to tourists from all around the world,” said Victor Love, owner of Josephine’s Southern Cooking, based in Chicago’s Chatham neighborhood. “They may be racing around Grant Park, but the Chicago Street Race is going to feature flavors from every one of Chicago’s distinct neighborhoods.”
“Since day one, NASCAR has been a part of the Chicago business community and has been here to support local businesses throughout the entire city,” said Mark Rand, a thirty-year Chicago hospitality veteran who oversees six restaurant concepts at Chicago’s Midway Airport as an Officer at North American Concessions. “The fact that they’ve expanded the NASCAR Village immensely shows their continued commitment to local business owners, and we are proud to help make year two even more successful.”
In an effort to further support the local business community, the NASCAR Chicago Street Race worked with Chicago Loop Alliance – creators of the award-winning event series, Sundays on State – to feature local retailers and artisans, including: BWYB Products, Dandykingzman, The Purple Unicorn Face Painting, The Stylish Bundt Bake Shop, Twenty Thou, VINTAGE FRILLS, Giveashirt, Brazilian Cultural Center of Chicago, Kingston James and Company, Fashion Mod, Henna By Dija, Poetry By Boots, Afro Funk Wear, Asia’s Way Naturally LLC, Artzone, Maverick Leather LLC, iAmDad365, and Sherman “Dilla” Thomas’ Chicago Mahogany.
“Chicago’s vibrant business community showcases the diverse array of small businesses that facilitate a strong mix of commerce, culture and community, and our organization is proud to collaborate on a display of our city’s diversity at this year’s Chicago Street Race Weekend,” said Michael M. Edwards, President & CEO of Chicago Loop Alliance. “The Chicago Street Race drives global attention and recognition to our city, and our partnership with NASCAR allows Chicago to put our best foot forward.”
In addition to an expanded roster of local food and retail vendors, Butler Field will feature The NASCAR Experience for the first time in 2024, an immersive display that includes racing simulators, appearances from NASCAR drivers, a NASCAR Cup Show Car that does live car starts, and more. The NASCAR Experience is designed to provide interactive educational opportunities to introduce guests to the legacy of the sport and showcase NASCAR’s vision for the future.
Located adjacent to the street course itself within the security checkpoints, NASCAR Village in Butler Field will also feature displays from Chicago Street Race partners, including Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois, the U.S. Air Force, U.S. Army, U.S. Marines, and The Field Museum. NASCAR’s radio partners will also be conducting live broadcasts from Butler Field, and long-time Chicago Street Race community partners Paint the City will also be on hand for a live, racing-themed painting demonstration.
Chicago Street Race
The Chicago Street Race is a unique two-day sports and entertainment event with a festival-like atmosphere that exemplifies NASCAR’s characteristic fan experience that puts attendees closer to the action than any other sport. Coupled with top-tier musical performances from global headliners, the Chicago Street Race Weekend is a once-in-a-lifetime experiential opportunity for any sports, music, and entertainment fan.
This year NASCAR introduced single-day ticketing options starting at $150. Tickets went on sale to the public on December 6, 2023, and grant visitors access to all the racing and music action. NASCAR has also introduced Youth General Admission Pricing for the 2024 Chicago Street Race Weekend. Children 12 and under are free on Saturday, July 6, and Youth GA tickets for Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race are $45.
Two-day reserved tickets starting at $465 offer an array of opportunities that include reserved seating and a wide variety of premium experiences. Two-day general admission tickets start at $269. For a complete listing of ticketing options or to purchase tickets, fans can visit NASCARChicago.com or call 888-629-7223.
Fans can also visit NASCARChicagoExperiences.com for multiple options for travel, tickets, and hospitality experiences, courtesy of Quint, the Travel and Experience Package Provider of the Chicago Street Race.
To stay up to date with the Chicago Street Race, fans can subscribe to receive exclusive Chicago Street Race emails, follow @NASCARChicago on X and Facebook and download the NASCAR Tracks App for the latest real-time updates on all aspects of the event.
All Images courtesy of NASCAR Chicago Street Race.
