Craft beer flights coming to the Chicago Auto Show

Organizers of the Chicago Auto Show have long offered test drives, but they are adding some flights, too, this year.

The auto show will host the first indoor Chicago Friday Night Flights, a craft beer sampling event, on Friday, Feb. 15, at McCormick Place.

"By adding events like Chicago Friday Night Flights, we hope to expand the reach of the Chicago Auto Show and appeal to a broader range of individuals who are looking for a fun night out in February," said Chicago Auto Show Chairman Ray Scarpelli. "We're aiming to bring that summer festival vibe indoors to the show."

Friday Night Flights are produced in partnership with the Illinois Craft Brewers Guild, Choose Chicago and Chicago Concierge. Held for the past two years in locations throughout the city, this is the first time the event will be brought to an indoor venue.

Chicago Friday Night Flights will feature a dozen local breweries including Alarmist, Arrowhead Ales Brewing Co., Band of Bohemia, Begyle Brewing Co., Brickstone Brewery, BuckleDown Brewing, Eris Brewery & Cider House, Gino's Brewing Co., Goose Island, Half Acre Brewery, Marz Community Brewing, Metropolitan Brewing, Motor Row Brewery, Revolution Brewing, Rock Bottom Restaurant & Brewery and Temperance Brewing.

A tasting pass gets you access to the Chicago Auto Show floor and allows you to sample 10, 3-ounce pours of craft beer from a dozen local breweries for $30 pre-purchase or $40 at the door. For more information and to purchase an event ticket for Friday Night Flights, visit cfnf.chicagoconcierge.com.

First staged in 1901, the Chicago Auto Show is the largest auto show in North America and has been held more times than any other auto exposition on the continent. This year marks the 111th edition of the show.

The Chicago Auto Show, which opens Saturday and runs through Monday, Feb. 18, utilizes more than 1 million square feet in the North and South Exhibit Halls of the McCormick Place complex. Its organizer, the Chicago Automobile Trade Association, is the nation's oldest and largest metropolitan dealer organization. CATA has produced the Chicago Auto Show since 1935.

This year the show features three indoor test tracks. There is the Camp Jeep Test Track where you can climb into an all-new Wrangler and other Jeep products and have a professional driver take you through an obstacle course. Toyota's indoor test track features the all-new Toyota Camry. New this year is the Kia indoor test track featuring Sorento and Sportage.

Additionally, there are six outdoor test drive opportunities. Sign up for those at Cadillac, Ford, Kia, Mazda, Subaru and Volkswagen exhibits.

Visitors to the show also get a chance to test-drive electric and hybrid-electric plug-in vehicles, including the 2019 Nissan LEAF and 2019 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid. The Chicago Area Clean Cities Coalition, a nonprofit group focused on clean-transportation solutions for the six-county Chicago area, is hosting an EV Experience where attendees can learn more about plug-in vehicles and charging from industry experts and local electric vehicle owners.

"We invite the curious, the doubters, and the advocates to participate," said Samantha Bingham, coordinator, Chicago Area Clean Cities. "For many consumers, this is the first time they've had a chance to drive electric. After taking a test drive, drivers discover that electric vehicles have outstanding performance and are better for the environment, lung health, and potentially their pocketbook."

Attendees who would like to test-drive an electric hybrid vehicle should register at the Chicago Area Clean Cities tent in McCormick Place's South Building, Gate 2, near the escalators.

Auto show essentials

The Chicago Auto Show runs Saturday through Feb. 18 at McCormick Place, 2301 S. Lake Shore Drive. Hours are 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. except for Feb. 18, when doors close at 8 p.m.

• Tickets are $13 for adults and $7 for people age 62 and older and children ages 7 to 12. Kids age 6 and under get in free.

• A gala First Look for Charity event takes place tonight.

• Special Days include Women's Day on Feb. 12, when women will be admitted for $7; Food Drive, Feb. 13-15, when attendees who bring three cans of food will pay only $7; Telemundo Hispanic Heritage Day, Feb. 15; and Family Day sponsored by the Daily Herald, Feb. 18.

• More information is available at chicagoautoshow.com.