The roads are all closed, Long Beach Transit is shutting down and nothing can be heard but the sound of revving engines and sporadic screaming. This signals the beginning of the weekend-long 42nd annual Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach, where race car lovers all around California come to drink, view expos and watch cars go “vroom.”
This year’s Grand Prix will say “Go Greased Lightning” to the popular Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race, in which celebrities go wheel-to-wheel with professional drivers to raise money for charity. The three-day event offers not only racing cars for your viewing pleasure, but a variety of concerts and stunt competitions located in Downtown Long Beach.
This event attracts over thousands of Long Beach residents as well as racing fans outside of the community, making for a bustling and hectic downtown atmosphere. Here’s a few of the events taking place at the Prix that you won’t want to miss out on.
- Concert days
Two out of the three Grand Prix days will feature performances from artists Bostich & Fussible and Cheap Trick. The concerts will take place Friday and Saturday, respectively, and are free with a ticket to the Grand Prix. Both shows will take place outside of the Long Beach Performing Arts Center’s Terrace Theater.
Duo Bostich & Fussible are popular in the Tijuana electronic scene, performing a style of music that takes both Norteno (music “from the North”) and Techno. They dubbed the hybrid “Nortec.” Bostich & Fussible have seen the stages of Coachella, Outsidelands and Austin City Limits, and this will be their first time playing the Grand Prix.
Cheap Trick will join the Grand Prix’s Rock-n-Roar Concert’s Hall of Fame along with groups such as Joan Jett & The Blackhearts, Bret Michael and the Goo Goo Dolls. The trio is scheduled to play the Grand Prix only one week after their induction into the actual Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and will, no doubt, pack the Performing Arts Center’s Terrace Theater. It’s advised to get there early, since space is limited.
- Lifestyle Expo
This massive expo will take up the entirety of the Long Beach Convention and Entertainment Center, spanning a total of over 270,000 square feet. The exhibits feature modern innovations in automotive, home and entertainment products.
An exhibit to look out for is the Green Power Prix-View, which includes energy and resource-conserving products for your home and body.
- Mother’s Exotic Car Paddock
If you’re interested in shiny, exotic sports cars — visit the Grand Prix on Sunday and walk until you meet Turn 9. There, you’ll find a variety of over 100 foreign sports cars for all your viewing and photo-taking pleasure. The cars on display include Ferraris, Porsches and any other glittering cars from overseas and the paddock will be open all through Sunday.
- Food Truck experience
Though downtown does offer a plethora of quality sit-down eateries, the Grand Prix will be holding a “Food Truck Experience” behind Grandstand 31 (south of the front straightaway near Shoreline Village) in which Prix-goers can browse and pig out on unique food truck items.
Best part? It’s all to-go. Grab a stuffed torta and get back to your car-viewing.
- Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race
Considering this race will be obsolete after this weekend, it’s definitely a race you want to stop by and at least see once before it zooms away. Sean Flannery, Brian Austin Green and Frankie Muniz are among the 21 participants who will be competing, and the Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race is the longest-running corporate-sponsored charity race in the United States. All proceeds will go to the benefit “Racing for Kids,” a charitable organization that supports children’s hospitals nationwide.