The Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach has arrived — with a thunderous shindig kicking things off.
High-flying motorcycles, classic cars on display and live music brought scores of folks to downtown Long Beach on Thursday evening, April 7, during the annual community event that drums up excitement for the three-day Grand Prix.
Thunder Thursday, a free event at the Pike Outlets, also featured a competition between two pit crews, photo booths, plenty of food and drink — and professional drivers hanging with fans.
Race cars from the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, Porsche Carrera Cup and the drifting series were displayed on Bay Street, with the drivers also there signing autographs.
Indeed, it had a little bit of everything — for everyone.
“We come here every year,” said Jay Pacete, of Carson, as he strolled through the car display holding his 2-year-old daughter, Jasmine. “My wife likes to go shopping at the outlet while I look at the cars.”
Thunder Thursday, presented by the Long Beach Convention & Visitors Bureau, allows the entire community to enjoy a taste of the Grand Prix, even if they can’t afford tickets to the main party.
The Thursday event also might be ideal if you think your kids are too young for jet-like roar of race car engines.
“We come here every time,” said Long Beach resident Alan Liu, who attended Thunder Thursday with his daughter and her husband, as well as his grandson, Paxton. “We’re waiting until Paxton gets older to take him to the Grand Prix.
“He even thought the motorbikes here were too loud,” Liu added. “We live nearby and always walk here.”
The Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach, the city’s biggest annual party, begins Friday, April 8, and ends Sunday, April 10.
The Grand Prix is back in its traditional spot this year after the 2021 iteration took place in September. The 2020 event was canceled and last year’s pushed back because of the coronavirus.
Despite the quick turnaround, enthusiasm for the Grand Prix seems high, at least if advanced ticket sales were anything to go by: Jim Michaelian, the president and CEO of the Grand Prix of Long Beach Association, said in a previous interview that based on those advanced sales, he expects the three-day event to once again exceed 180,000 vistors.
This year’s event will not have any coronavirus health regulations, unlike in 2021.
And while there will be plenty of racing this weekend, there will also be so much more:
There will be a lifestyle expo in the Long Beach Convention & Entertainment Center and a Family Fun Zone in the Long Beach Arena. There will also be local food trucks. The all star rock band Royal Machines will perform live during the Grand Prix’s traditional Saturday night concert.
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The Grand Prix is a major economic driver for Long Beach, one the city can count on annually. But this year, local businesses may be even more excited — as they continue recovering from the pandemic.
“These continue to be challenging times for the Long Beach business community,” Jeremy Harris, president and CEO of the Long Beach Area Chamber of Commerce, said in a recent interview, “and the hope is that the Grand Prix will add a much-needed boost in revenue for so many struggling businesses in the city.”
Photographer Howard Freshman contributed to this report.