I do not know about you, but my kids had gone stir-crazy due to the inclement weather. To work off some steam and just in time to celebrate my middle little’s birthday, my crew packed up the car and made our way to Knoxville for the Hot Wheels Monster Truck Glow Party! If your littles are into cars or things that go fast, whatsoever, this is the place to go!
My son’s absolute favorite cartoon to watch is Blaze and the Monster Machines. While I love that show because it goes beyond animated entertainment and teaches kids lots of science basics, he, on the other hand, enjoys the fast trucks, cool characters, and adventurous missions, so it was a no-brainer to attend the monster truck show.
Before arriving, I purchased our tickets to the pre-show Glow Party. This segment involved the kids getting up close and personal with real-life monster trucks! The boys got to see why they got the name (their monstrous size) and met the drivers who operated each of them. At our show, Gunkster, 5 Alarm, Tiger Shark, Big Foot, and Demo Derby were on hand. In addition to the main attraction — the trucks — there were tables set up for play with miniature monster trucks, coloring, puzzles, dancing, and other activities, and an opportunity to get autographs from the drivers.
After the pre-show, we got seated and ready to enjoy the real deal.
As the lights dimmed, the music went up — way up — so if you plan to attend one of these shows, be sure you have the proper safety earphones to protect those fragile little ears. The show opened with the monster trucks leaping over cars to see who could go furthest. A winner was crowned for that competition before the second one began, determining the truck that could do the best doughnut spins. This segment was the loudest to me, but of course, my kids were unfazed because the louder the better, right?
The third phase was my oldest son’s favorite (and a close second fav’ of mine).
A giant monster truck came out with all the fanfare you can imagine. I am talking lights and pyrotechnics! After that, the truck slowly and mysteriously opened up to reveal a mechanical dinosaur/fire-breathing dragon named Megasaurus. The fire was so big and intense that we could feel the heat in the audience. The dinosaur went on to completely pulverize an actual car before our very eyes. The crowd went from loud and excited to quiet and amazed! After that, a brief intermission allowed for a dance competition between kids and parents, silly interviews, and, of course, restroom breaks and food. My crew enjoyed pizza and cotton candy to ensure they had enough energy to get through the final leg of the show.
The second portion opened shortly afterward with the motorcycles, the birthday boy’s top pick. They were my husband’s and my favorite, too. Three trained cyclists wowed the crowd with all sorts of dare-devilish jumps, tricks, and flips! My son, though young, is already quite the thrill seeker, so it did not take long before he leaned in and asked me if he could do what they were doing when he grew up. Ha! After the motorcycles finished their fun, the monster trucks returned for the show’s final competition, which involved each truck making freestyle moves. We saw more doughnuts, leaps, and cars get crushed like soda cans. Finally, Big Foot was announced as the show’s winner.
As if it were ever a thing, I can now check Monster Truck off my “Boy Mama Bucket List.” I have blogged about this before, but I am the girliest girl you will meet. My boys have forced me to tap into a side of myself that I did not previously know existed, but I am having quite a time exploring this version of myself. While this is not a sponsored post, I felt compelled to share our great experience. We got to be super loud, extra silly, and totally entertained. The big wheels gave us the biggest thrills!
