Southern California’s 200-mph Beach Party® Returns Thursday evening, April 18, with the popular Thunder Thursday at The Pike Outlets.

A free-to-the-public event that annually marks the start of the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach race weekend, Thunder Thursday starts at 6 p.m. with activities for the entire family.

Presented by Visit Long Beach, Thunder Thursday will include an NTT INDYCAR SERIES pit stop competition on Shoreline Drive, west of Pine Ave., lighting up the streets at 6:45 p.m. There will be four cars representing four INDYCAR teams competing for a $10,000 prize: the #2 Team Penske Chevrolet with driver Josef Newgarden, the #11 Chip Ganassi Racing Honda with driver Marcus Armstrong, the #14 A.J. Foyt Racing Chevrolet with driver Santino Ferrucci and the #28 Andretti Global Honda with driver Marcus Ericsson. The first round will pit Newgarden’s team against Armstrong’s and Ferrucci’s team versus Ericsson’s team. The winners of that round will move on to the finals.

In addition, the always-exciting Freestyle Kings freestyle motocross demonstrations 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 located in and around the three grandstands north of Shoreline Dr. adjacent to The Pike Outlets (Grandstands 5, 6 and 7 for the race).

“Nothing gets you closer to the sights and sounds of The Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach than Thunder Thursday,” said Morgan Blank, Director of Shopping Center Marketing for Site Centers. “We’re excited to welcome locals and race-fans alike, back to The Pike Outlets for the 6th time to enjoy classic cars, race cars, motorcycles, shopping and more!”

“Visit Long Beach is proud to sponsor Thunder Thursday to give Long Beach residents a chance to experience the sights and sounds of America’s premiere street race right in our own backyard,” said Steve Goodling, President & CEO of Visit Long Beach. “Free for all, we invite everyone down to The Pike Outlets to see motorcycle stunts and race cars, eat great food, and enjoy live music.”

Within The Pike Outlets, fans will enjoy interactive photo booths and live music from Manuel The Band and The Moon Jays on the 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 SOLID Property 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 GT America series that will race over the weekend, and for the second time, Iron Goddess, an all-female motorcycle show on Bay Street. Plus, the IMSA and GT America 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 19-21. For 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, formerly known as the Long Beach Convention & Visitors Bureau, 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.