4 key things to know about the Circle K Speed Street festival, kicking off this Thursday in Uptown

The 3-day festival is a Memorial Weekend tradition that attracts major crowds to Uptown ahead of Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600.

Expect traffic and street closures in the area as early as 9:30 a.m. on Wednesday, May 23 through Sunday, May 27 at 6 a.m. See all street closures.

Festivities begin this Thursday at noon and you can’t miss them, especially if you live or work in Uptown.

You won’t have to look hard to find Speed Street, as vendor displays, kids’ activities and all things NASCAR set up shop along Tryon Street beginning Thursday.

Expect the streets to be packed Thursday through Saturday, 12-8 p.m. Over the last 24 years, the festival has welcomed more than 8 million guests, seen appearances by 300+ NASCAR drivers, served 13 million burgers and hosted concerts featuring more than 100 award-winning musicians, including Eastin Corbin and Brett Young. See a full schedule here.

All activities, except the concerts, including interactive displays and meet-and-greets, are free.

This year’s concerts will take place in Romare Bearden Park, with a lineup that includes Eastin Corbin, Judah & the Lion, Chase Rice and Dustin Lynch. Concert tickets start at $25 and will increase to $35 on the day of the show. See the lineup:

• Thursday, May 24 at 6:30 p.m.: Judah & the Lion with Jaggermouth & Reaves. Tickets.

• Friday, May 25 at 6:30 p.m.: Chase Rice and Easton Corbin with Travis Dennings. Tickets.
• Saturday, May 26 at 6:30 p.m.: Dustin Lynch with Brett Young and Lindsay Ell. Tickets.

It all leads up to this Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600.

Many call the 400-lap Memorial Day weekend race the best that NASCAR has to offer. Flags wave at 6 p.m. and tickets start at $49 (including a concert by the Eli Young Band). See the full schedule and buy tickets here.