Popcorn Pit Stop: Hot Wheels Race, Popcorn Festival Automotive Showcase, & Food Truck Rally
Schedule
Fri Sep 05 2025 at 04:30 pm to 09:00 pm
UTC-05:00Location
Central Park Plaza | Valparaiso, IN
🍿🏎️ Start your engines for Popcorn Festival weekend and join us at 🏁 Popcorn Pit Stop 🏁 in Central Park Plaza on Friday, September 5th! 🏎️🍿WHAT'S POPPIN? 🍿💥
🍿 The Popcorn Festival Automotive Showcase hosted by Drivers' Gallery - Indiana Ave. & Lafayette St.
- An automotive gathering highlighting car culture by bringing forth many different aspects of what we love about cars all in downtown Valparaiso. Showcasing some of the most high-quality modified vehicles, automotive vendors, and RC drifting with Drift'IN, this is an event celebrating automotive culture and history along with celebrating the history of the Popcorn Festival, Orville Redenbacher, and the city of Valparaiso.
- The Automotive Showcase is a pre-approved vehicle show. Applications must register and there are only 70 spots available. This is a very exclusive event for some of the best vehicles.
Contact Drivers' Gallery for more information on vehicle registration.
🛞 Hot Wheels Race of Champions – William E. Urschel Pavilion
Get ready for some Hot Wheels heat with races on a 60+ foot custom track under the William E. Urschel Pavilion.
Race Registration: 4:30 - 5:30 | Races: 5:30 - 9:00
• Race Entry: $1/car
• Bring your own Hot Wheels car or buy one on-site for $2
• All proceeds from race entries support local charities
🔥 Food Truck Rally – Lafayette St.
- Grab some tasty eats from local food trucks on Lafayette Street through Central Park Plaza.
🏎️ Drift'IN RC Car Track - William E. Urschel Pavilion
Whether you're a car enthusiast or a future racer, you won't want to miss the fast cars, tasty eats, and Hot Wheels heat at Popcorn Pit Stop to get revved up for Popcorn Fest weekend! 🍿🛞🏎️
🍿 PRESENTED BY: 🍿
Drivers' Gallery | Drift'IN
Meijer - Valparaiso | Northern Indiana Law Enforcement Academy | Level 10 Coatings | Valpo Athletics
🍿 2025 Popcorn Festival Sponsors 🍿
Platinum:
Purdue University Northwest
Gold:
Journeyman Distillery | Indiana Army National Guard
Silver:
Chick-fil-A | Ignite Medical Resorts | Indiana Beverage | IVY Tech Community College | Lerner & Rowe | Strack & Van Til | Team Chevy Valpo
Bronze:
Ameristar Casino & Hotel | Horizon Bank | Indiana University Northwest | Leaf Guard | Level 10 Coatings | Lori K Bath | Meijer | Nilea | Valparaiso University Athletics
Friends of Popcorn Festival:
ALDI | Central Midwest Carpenters Union | CertaPro Painters of NWI | Ozinga | Urschel Laboratories
