5 Kid-Friendly Events Not to Miss During the 600 Festival
Stars, cars and guitars keep families busy throughout May.
Summer fun can start early this year. With a variety of free, family-friendly activities, the 600 Festival Association offers five events in May, each sprinkled with stars, cars and guitars. Whether your son is a big NASCAR fan or your daughter simply loves a good movie, games and activities, we have a variety of entertaining solutions for your May calendar.
1. Movies on the Campus
May 8, Downtown Kannapolis
To kick off festivities, Movies on the Campus is a great opportunity to bring your lawn chairs or blankets and enjoy Disney’s “Cars 2” under the stars. The free evening is slated for Friday, May 6 at 8 p.m. in downtown Kannapolis, North Carolina. It’s a perfect event for kids of all ages to watch their favorite characters race on the big screen.
2. Haulers on Union Parade and Fan Fest
May 19, Union Street, Concord
On Thursday, May 19 starting at 5 p.m., the Haulers on Union parade and fan fest will feature more than 30 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series haulers parading down Union Street in Concord en route to Charlotte Motor Speedway. Families can get into the racing spirit with a variety of activities including race cars on display, celebrity autographs, corn hole, horseshoes, life-size Connect 4 and more. A free concert will kick off at 6:30 p.m. featuring country music artists Acoustic South followed by the sounds of beach music, soul and R&B from The Tams.
3. ENEOS Little 600
May 24, GoPro Motorplex in Mooresville
For race fans young and old, the Little 600 is a little slice of racing paradise. The third annual event will be held at GoPro Motorplex in Mooresville and feature a full field of NASCAR drivers in the 15-lap main event as well as a NASCAR spotters and future stars race. Among the NASCAR drivers expected to participate are Kyle Larson, Kasey Kahne, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Joey Logano, Michael McDowell, Justin Allgaier, Ryan Blaney, Trevor Bayne and many more. Drivers subject to change. The Little 600 gate opens at 2:30 p.m. on Tuesday, May 24!
4. PNC Speed Street 5K
May 28, Uptown Charlotte
On Saturday, May 28, lace up your running shoes and dash through the streets of Speed Street in Uptown Charlotte. The 5K starts at 8 a.m. and has a 600-yard fun run for kids that starts inside the NASCAR Hall of Fame at 8:45 a.m.
5. Circle K and Kangaroo Speed Street presented by Coca-Cola
May 26-28, Uptown Charlotte
The finale for the five May activities is the always-fun Circle K and Kangaroo Speed Street. The 22nd annual event offers live entertainment, access to racing’s brightest stars such as Joey Logano, Tony Stewart and Danica Patrick, and interactive displays appropriate for all ages. This year, there will be a kids’ zone on the NASCAR Hall of Fame plaza complete with bounce houses and a variety of activities. For those with a later curfew, don’t miss the evening’s headliners Sol Fusion and the Voltage Brothers on Thursday; Montgomery Gentry and Chris Young on Friday; and Kellie Pickler and The Band Perry on Saturday. The annual festival takes place in Uptown Charlotte May 26-28 from noon to 11 p.m. each day. With the exception of the Friday and Saturday night music performances, activities remain free to the public including sponsor displays, musical entertainment, access to a variety of food and beverage, the kids’ zone and much more.
So mark your calendars now for entertaining, family-oriented events throughout the month of May. For complete details on each event, please visit 600festival.com.
Jacqueline Gafrarar is the executive director of the 600 Festival.
