CHARLOTTE, N.C., May 01, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Looking for something fun to do during the month of May? Look no further than Charlotte and the surrounding area for a month-long list of entertainment opportunities courtesy of the 600 Festival Association.
The 600 Festival has the month covered with a family-friendly movie, a vegetable race, a colorful parade of NASCAR big rigs, a go-kart race pitting NASCAR stars and tons of live music from nationally-acclaimed artists.
“May is going to be huge for everyone in this region,” said Jacqueline Gafrarar, executive director of the 600 Festival. “There are so many great events scheduled for the Charlotte region again this year. It should be a fun and entertaining month for everyone locally and the thousands of visitors who come to town for the races at Charlotte Motor Speedway.”
For more than 30 consecutive years, the 600 Festival has helped the community and visiting race fans celebrate the May racing events at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
The excitement begins on May 4 with Movies on the Campus, a family-friendly, free evening in Kannapolis. Held in conjunction with Jiggy with the Piggy, this year’s Movies on the Campus features Disney’s “Cars 3” beginning at 6:30 p.m.
The fun continues the next day, May 5, in Kannapolis with the Zucchini 600, a competition to see who can build the fastest, most creative and nutritious cars out of zucchini. The Zucchini 600 takes the green flag at noon with youngsters from the region competing in two age groups, 9-and-under and 10-to-14.
The celebration of racing moves to Concord two weeks later for the Haulers on Union Parade and Fan Fest presented by Freightliner on May 17. More than 30 colorful NASCAR haulers will parade through downtown Concord on the way to Charlotte Motor Speedway. And there is much more: live music from the Tim Clark Band before and after the parade, celebrity appearances including Daytona 500 winner Austin Dillon, autograph sessions, games, mascots and show cars.
Engines will be fired on May 22 with the Little 600 at the GoPro Motorplex in Mooresville as some of NASCAR’s top drivers battle each other in go-karts. There also will be a race between spotters, the folks who serve as a second set of eyes for drivers from high above NASCAR tracks. Former Little 600 winners include Ryan Blaney, Darrell Wallace Jr. and Corey LaJoie.
The 600 Festival hits high gear when Circle K Speed Street presented by Coca-Cola begins in uptown Charlotte on May 24 for three days of music, food, games, autographs, interactive displays and much more.
There will be appearances by Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series drivers Daniel Suarez on May 25, and Austin Dillon and Denny Hamlin on May 26.
And there will be music, lots of music, each of the three nights.
There will be a series of free concerts on the Mello Yello stage, at the corner of Stonewall Street and Tryon Street featuring national acts along with regional artists, highlighted by Howard Hewett on May 24, Gump Fiction on May 25 and Chairmen of the Board on May 26
There will be three star-studded nights of entertainment on the Coca-Cola stage in Romare Bearden Park, featuring Judah & the Lion May 24, Chase Rice and Easton Corbin May 25 and Dustin Lynch and Brett Young May 26. Tickets for concerts on the Coca-Cola stage may be purchased at 600festival.com.
For more information on the five 2018 600 Festival Association events, visit www.600festival.com or follow us on Facebook and Instagram.