150 cars to flood Birmingham City Walk for free NASCAR event

Birmingham residents can view roughly 150 vehicles for free at City Walk Friday. The event runs from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. and features racing simulators alongside show cars. Attendees will also find food trucks and local vendors on site.

NASCAR is hosting the fourth annual Block Party and Car Show as part of Magic City Classic weekend. The lineup includes entries from celebrities and influencers as well as cars from out of state. A dedicated kids zone is part of the programming.

Brandon Thompson, NASCAR’s Vice President of Growth, Engagement, and Inclusion, described the gathering as a key part of the organization's engagement with local communities and Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Thompson noted that about 1,500 people attended the event last year.

“We had about 1,500 people come out last year, a ton of food trucks, so it was a great opportunity,” Thompson said. “It’s really just a great time to bring out the kids, celebrate the classic weekend, and come out and see what NASCAR’s all about.”

The block party takes place shortly after NASCAR’s race weekend at Talladega Superspeedway. Thompson said the proximity to Talladega makes the Birmingham market important for the organization. The event aims to support the two HBCUs participating in the classic: Alabama A&M and Alabama State.

“We know how much Birmingham means to Talladega as well,” Thompson said. “It’s a great time for us to come back with one of the city’s largest events, to be able to come and support both HBCUs here and support a lot of the things that we have going on just from an HBCU initiative across the board.”

The event is open to the public with no admission cost. It is located at City Walk BHAM. Local vendor Alicia’s Coffee is among the businesses participating in the Friday afternoon gathering.