Supercars fun starts with free community events on offer

There will be plenty of options to soak up the atmosphere of the Newcastle 500 outside of the racing precinct, with City of Newcastle supporting a series of fun, free events this weekend.

Racing fans can kick off their experience with the ultimate Supercars signing session at Gregson Park in Hamilton from 4.30pm to 7pm tomorrow, Thursday 9 March.

Get there early and check out the pristine display of cars from Newy Car Club while the younger members of the family have fun behind the wheel on the free mechanical car ride before all 25 drivers from the Newcastle 500 arrive for the official autograph session at 5pm.

Make a night of it by grabbing a bite to eat from the food trucks on site or picking up a tasty takeaway meal from nearby Beaumont Street before settling in for an evening picnic amongst the buzz.

Car enthusiasts can check out some of Newcastle's coolest cars with another display from Newy Car Club members at Newcastle Museum forecourt from 8.30am to 5pm on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The enviable display will have something for everyone to ogle, from the high end luxury of an Aston Martin, Lamborghini and Ferrari to the classic appeal of a Holden HSV R8 and Ford GT500 Mustang among others.

Family fun will also be on offer in Civic Park from 11am to 3pm on Saturday and Sunday, with free activities for all ages. Gets hands-on with the toddler messy play stations, race your mates on the jumbo slide, get colourful with free face painting, partake in fun interactive workshops including a community mural wall and enjoy some special performances and live music each day.

Keep track of all the details across the weekend by visiting whatson.newcastle.nsw.gov.au/the-fun-starts-here