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
Edcoda founder after pivot to new edtech app Boddle: ‘I wish I had failed faster’
Clarence Tan held onto his startup Edcoda longer than he should have, the founder admitted, but his pivot to a new edtech learning app, Boddle, should prove a more filling fit for users. “Boddle has a much better underlying vision and mission, as well as being better in terms of how it would work in…
New STEAM Studio ‘pop-up’ lab planned for Rockhurst library along Troost
With its quiet atmosphere and stacks of source materials, the bottom floor of the Greenlease Library at Rockhurst University is a great place to study or do research. But it doesn’t necessarily strike one as a state-of-the-art design thinking and learning lab — yet. Starting this summer, that section of the university’s library will be…
City: Best way to avoid tickets in downtown KCMO, Crossroads? Pay via ParkMobile app
Unsafe parking conditions in the city’s downtown business districts have spun out of control, prompting increased ticketing, said Matt Staub. The ParkMobile app can reduce such headaches for motorists searching for an open spot along busy Kansas City streets. “People are kind of making up their own parking spaces, parking in ‘no-parking’ zones — all…
From cell phone emissions to wisdom teeth: KC STEM Alliance honors student innovators
When the KC STEM Alliance brought together 377 students from 41 schools to showcase their senior capstone projects in engineering and biomedical sciences last week at Union Station, visitors were amazed at their ingenuity and creativity. Special guests included Vince Bertram, president and CEO of Project Lead The Way, and Mike Oister, CEO of the…