Grand Prix & Community Festival

MAYFAIR BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT TO HOLD MAYFAIR GRAND PRIX & COMMUNITY FESTIVAL

The Mayfair Grand Prix and Community Festival is on Saturday, June 1st from 1 pm – 6 pm. The day will feature celebrity guests, NASCAR drivers including Bubba Wallace, local music, crafts, a car show and opportunities for the businesses along Frankford Avenue to benefit from hundreds of people strolling the avenue. In coordination with The Urban Youth Racing School (UYRS), the event will come to an apex with a Grand Prix featuring miniature stock cars on a track that will cross the iconic intersection of Frankford & Cottman Avenues. Expected to attend the event are current Eagles players.

Urban Youth Racing School

The Urban Youth Racing School is a Philadelphia-based STEM program offers a 10-week class for urban students ages 8-18. The goal: to teach science, technology, engineering, and mathematics via the magic of motorsports and prepare students for a fast-paced career in the competitive world of professional racing.

Car Show, Food & Shopping

Starting at 1:00 pm, there will be a Car Show featuring classic cars, modern luxury vehicles and supped-up versions of everyday cars. Awards will be given to the top 20 cars in the show in various categories. Also starting at 1:00 pm will be the Community Festival, which will include live music from local band, Philly Heart and Soul and a special performance by the teen group – Royal Mix. Throughout the day, racing teams, dignitaries, media, and celebrities will be doing practice laps along the track. Food trucks, crafters and businesses will line Frankford Avenue for patrons to stroll, eat, and enjoy the festivities.

“To our knowledge, nothing like this has ever taken place on the streets of Northeast Philadelphia, and with the popularity of NASCAR we expect this to be a huge event for the community of Mayfair,” said Mayfair Business Improvement District Executive Director, Marc Collazzo. “With the Pocono race on Sunday, the NASCAR drivers are coming down to participate in this event, and with current Eagles players on the board of UYRS, we anticipate that we could get a few more to come and meet the fans for pictures and autographs.”

Grand Prix Starts at 4:00 pm

At 4:00 pm, the Grand Prix will take place with teams made of up a professional NASCAR driver, business owners, politicians, celebrities, and a student from the UYRS. These go-karts can reach speeds of 50-60 miles per hour. The teams will take to the professional track, complete with barricades and advertisements, for a relay race, which will run along Cottman and Frankford Avenues. The race is expected to last approximately 1 – 1 ½ hour with 8-12 teams competing for the title of champion.

“The Urban Youth Racing School has been around for more than 20 years, and our goal has always remained the same, to enhance the knowledge and educational drive for science, technology and math skills for kids through critical thinking, said Founder and President, Anthony Martin. “The Mayfair Grand Prix gives us the opportunity to show off the tremendous skills our students have developed.”

The Mayfair Business Improvement District is a two-mile stretch along Cottman and Frankford Avenues from Sheffield to Harbison Avenue. Enacted by Philadelphia City Council in December 2015, MBID seeks to foster a vibrant and inviting commercial corridor within Mayfair.