New street closures are in effect on Friday ahead of the big NASCAR Chicago Street Race.
Beginning at 12:01 a.m., northbound and southbound DuSable Lake Shore Drive is closed between Randolph Street and McFetridge Road.
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Southbound Michigan Avenue is closed between Roosevelt Road and Jackson Drive.
The northbound lane of Indiana Avenue is closed at 13th Street.
Monroe Street is closed between Columbus Drive and DuSable Lake Shore Drive.
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The new closures come as Chicago's downtown streets will be buzzing this weekend.
The motorsport giant says it wants Chicagoans to enjoy the race, and there are many ways to do so.
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ABC7's Diane Pathieu is out at Buckingham Fountain on Friday morning to and show us how NASCAR is embracing Chicago's rich culture.
This year, NASCAR is embracing Chicago's food scene by teaming up with Lettuce Entertain You, introducing restaurants like Josephine's and Bronzeville Winery to the mix.
Local restaurants to be featured at NASCAR event
Victor Love with Josephine's Southern Cookingand Mark Rand with North American Concessions partnered with NASCAR to bring together local restaurants to NASCAR Village in Butler Fie
And NASCAR Village at Butler Field is expanding this year. NASCAR is teaming up with Chicago Loop Alliance and JoRand to make sure Chicago's 77 neighborhoods are represented.
"We wanted the NASCAR to come in knowing that Chicago is rich in history and culture where it relates to the diversity of food," said Victor Love with Josephine's Southern Cooking.
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Andrew Engle outlined all of the fun available for families inside the NASCAR Kids Zone.
There will be restaurants on site, local retailers and interactive NASCAR experiences for everyone to enjoy, ranging from Italian ice and fried chicken to tacos and ice cream.
"You can't come to a world-class city like Chicago and not include all the rich cultures and history of what Chicago has to offer," Love said.
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NASCAR says it is on a mission to ensure the community benefits from the races in hopes that folks who have never experienced NASCAR will want to check it out.
"We learned a lot last think this year again, really making sure that this is something for everyone. Youth tickets, kids 12 and under, are free on Saturday. We have that free experience in NASCAR Village of Butler Field," said Chicago Street Race President Julie Giese.
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Butler Field will feature The NASCAR Experience with racing simulators, appearance from NASCAR drivers and NASCAR Cup show car that does live car starts and more.
"Some of the feedback we got was more NASCAR education, more NASCAR 101. So, we'll have our NASCAR experience in there that educates people about sport. We'll have driver appearances, we'll have local performances," Giese said.
NASCAR expanded its footprint, offering options that many communities can take advantage of in 2024.
Single-day general admission tickets to the races start at $150 this year, and there is a free experience option near the track.
Local retailers featured at NASCAR Village
Michael M. Edwards of the Chicago Loop Alliance joined ABC7 to talk about what to expect at NASCAR Village this year.
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