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To celebrate the Hot Wheels™: Race to Win™ exhibit, The Children's Museum will have a race car-themed float in this year’s IPL 500 Festival Parade!
We're so excited about our participation in the IPL 500 Festival Parade, we gathered up some fun facts to share about the parade and The Children's Museum's float!
- The IPL 500 Festival Parade was one of the original events produced by the 500 Festival.
- The parade is the only 500 Festival event that has taken place every year since the 500 Festival’s founding in 1957.
- The parade is always held on the eve of the Indianapolis 500.
- An estimated 300,000 spectators line the streets of Indianapolis to see the parade in person.
- The parade is considered to be one of the nation’s premier parades alongside the Pasadena Tournament of Roses and the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.
- In addition to The Children’s Museum Hot Wheels® float, the parade will feature well-known celebrities, costumed characters, marching bands, patriotic units, specialty units, and giant helium-filled balloons.
- The 33 starting drivers of the Indianapolis 500 serve as honorary grand marshals the day before the race, riding in the traditional rows of three, with the winner of the pole position bringing up the rear.
- Al Unser Jr. originally rode on the float, which appeared in the parade in 2011.
- The original float’s sponsor was PEAK Motor Oil.
- The parade will be telecast live on WTHR from noon-1:30 p.m. and nationally on NBC Sports Network.
