Visit Long Beach, The Pike Outlets and the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach will give the public a chance to Experience the Long Beach Vibe for FREE on Thursday evening, April 16, with the popular Thunder Thursday at The Pike Outlets.
Thunder Thursday, presented by Visit Long Beach, is the event that annually marks the start of the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach race weekend with activities for the entire family.
Thunder Thursday will start at 6 p.m. and include an NTT INDYCAR SERIES pit stop competition on Shoreline Drive, west of Pine Ave., set to thrill the crowd at 6:45 p.m. There will be four cars representing four INDYCAR teams competing for a $10,000 prize: in the first round, Graham Rahal, driving the #15 Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Honda, will take on Christian Rasmussen in the #21 Ed Carpenter Racing Chevrolet, while Marcus Ericsson, driving the #28 Andretti Global Honda will go up against Rinus Veekay in the #76 Juncos Hollinger Racing Chevrolet. The two winning teams will go on to the final round, while the other two teams will face off in a consolation matchup to determine third place overall.
In addition, the high-flying Freestyle MX freestyle motocross team will take over Shoreline Drive briefly at 6:30 p.m. and for a full show at 7:45 p.m. Spectator viewing for these events will be in and around the three grandstands north of Shoreline Dr. adjacent to The Pike Outlets (Grandstands 5, 6 and 7 for the race).
“Thunder Thursday is all about bringing people together,” said Morgan Blank, The Pike Outlets Director of Marketing. “It’s a chance for families, fans, and visitors to experience the thrill of the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach atmosphere while enjoying live music, race cars on display, motorcycle stunt shows, pit stop competitions, and more, this event delivers an adrenaline-filled experience you won’t find anywhere else.”
“Thunder Thursday gives Long Beach residents the opportunity to experience the thrill of the Grand Prix with up-close experiences, great food and live entertainment,” said Steve Goodling, President & CEO of Visit Long Beach. “Visit Long Beach is proud to help bring to life this one-of-a-kind experience for families and race fans of all ages.”
Within The Pike Outlets, fans will enjoy interactive photo booths and live music from Ashe Brothers and Manuel The Band on stage in the Main Plaza. Food will also be available in the Main Plaza, as will, for fans 21 and older, a Beer Garden hosted by the Auld Dubliner and sponsored by LAZ and Janssen Commercial Services.
Other attractions include a classic car show located on The Paseo, with local antique and vintage cars; race cars from the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship including the Acura ARX-06 hybrid GT Prototype (GTP) car, and Porsche Carrera Cup series that will race over the weekend, and for the fourth time, Iron Goddess, an all-female motorcycle show on Bay Street. Plus, the IMSA and Porsche Carrera Cup drivers will sign autographs!
Fans will also have an opportunity to pick up an Acura Grand Prix weekend coupon booklet and a chance to win prizes and special retail offers with The Pike Outlet’s street team.
Parking for Thunder Thursday at The Pike Outlets will be available in the Pike Parking structure at Chestnut Place off Ocean Blvd.
The Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach will take place April 17-19. For tickets and more information, visit gplb.com.
About The Pike Outlets
The Pike Outlets is a 389,000 square-foot retail property owned by SITE Centers in the heart of Downtown Long Beach, California. Located off of Shoreline Drive and Pine Ave, The Pike Outlets is a premier destination for shopping, dining, and entertainment. The Pike Outlets is filled with fashion retailers, restaurants and nightlife options that make the property much more than just a hub of shopping such as a movie theatre, gym, boutique hotel, comedy club, and the iconic Ferris Wheel. For more information visit thepikeoutlets.com.
About Visit Long Beach
Visit Long Beach markets and promotes the City of Long Beach as a destination for leisure travel, conventions and events. Founded in 1982 as a nonprofit corporation, the organization employs a myriad of strategies to publicize and market the city, including traditional advertising, content marketing, media relations, and robust convention client services. Visit Long Beach has a membership program for local businesses, providing them with marketing and publicity services including web listings, social media promotions, and exposure to convention clients.
