Experience unlocked: Aussie pop-up racing into KC in early 2019 with Mushroom Rally
December 12, 2018 | Elyssa Bezner
Mushroom Rally — a real life Mario Kart race experience with roots in Australia — is expected to swerve into the Kansas City scene in early 2019, said James Harrison.
“[Mushroom Rally] will hit 16 cities [next year], with Kansas City being one of them,” said Harrison, a race organizer for the experience pop-up. “We think the demographics of Kansas City will work well for our event, as there are young families and 30-somethings that grew up playing the original game.”
The pop-up experience — unaffiliated with Nintendo or any other brand — is expected to involve 600 participants in go karts across multiple races in each city, he said, noting each winner is given the opportunity to compete in the grand finale in Las Vegas.
Click here to be notified when tickets are available.
Kansas City tickets are expected to become available in the coming weeks at $55 each, he added, with the location for the race yet to be announced.
“We do try to keep most of the locations a secret to create some mystery and excitement,” said Harrison. “We can tell you that our races are held on a closed, themed race track and not on the streets.”
Participants will be provided with choice of Mario Kart-character costumes that double as safety wear, he said, noting specific height and weight requirements are necessary for juniors and adults.
Ticket buyers able to collect enough “stars” during games available on race days will get the chance to compete in the Las Vegas final race, said Harrison.
Each participant is also automatically entered into a lottery to race in the final, he added.
With the Mushroom Rally originating in Melbourne in 2017, the event skyrocketed across other Australian cities, said Harrison, noting the pop-up’s success in England throughout 2018 made the founding team set the U.S. — and Kansas City — in their sights.
“One of our directors really hopes he has time to visit the Jazz Museum while we are there [in KC,]” he added.

2018 Startups to Watch
stats here
Related Posts on Startland News
‘We’re a big damn deal!’ KC is an underground fintech hub, says Zach Pettet
Editor’s note: Zach Pettet is the Fintech Strategist at nbkc bank, with which Startland News has partnered on an upcoming Innovation Exchange event. Opinions expressed in this commentary are the author’s alone. Kansas City is the United States’ underground financial center. Over the years, many financial juggernauts have been born and grown up in Kansas…
Traditional marketing tactics fail to wow consumers, Boomn startup says
If an idea doesn’t prompt a “Heck yeah!” response from the team at Boomn, it gets an “Um, no” verdict, said Ryan O’Connell. A data-driven and performance-based digital marketing company, KC-based Boomn works primarily with ecommerce brands. Such clients range from food and beverage companies to TV and YouTube personalities, said O’Connell, Boomn’s chief operating…
Video: ‘Have you eaten?’ KC Pinoy adds food math to flavorful Filipino fare
Editor’s note: The following content about Chrissy Nucum’s KC Pinoy is sponsored by Mid-Continent Public Library but independently produced by Startland News. KC Pinoy food truck’s last customer of the day was aptly named: Lucky. “We’ve had a good enough day to break a hundred [dollar bill],” owner Chrissy Nucum told the diner at the…



