This summer, Sesame Street is taking a Road Trip Across America to share a message that’s been true since the beloved children’s show debuted in 1969: no matter who you are or where you live, Sesame Street is for you.

The multi-city tour will bring communities together and showcase the many ways Sesame Street — and Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit organization behind the iconic brand — helps children everywhere grow smarter, stronger, and kinder.

Cookie Monster will officially kick off the tour on July 27 at the Brickyard 400, the NASCAR Cup Series race held at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Serving as Grand Marshal, Cookie will be reunited with Bubba Wallace, a professional driver who competes for 23XI Racing in the NASCAR Cup Series. The pair taped a special video for fans to share that Cookie Monster and his friends are taking a cross-country trip. When Bubba exclaims, “I love road trips!” Cookie replies, “Oh, you coming with us! Now, does your car have room for a couple of monsters, a fairy, a few chickens, a Big Bird, and a Snuffleupagus?” Bubba thinks it might be a tight fit, but then they’re off!

Aaron Bisman, Senior Vice President, Head of Marketing, Sesame Workshop, said:

“For over 55 years, Sesame Street has been reaching and teaching children across America. What better way to extend the laughter and learning than by bringing Sesame Street to where our young fans are — their hometowns? This summer, families will experience the joy of Sesame Street at state fairs, baseball games, and so much more.”

Highlights of the road trip include:

• State fairs and a zoo: From August through October, families will enjoy a Sesame Street-themed interactive digital booth, photo opportunities, coloring stations, and giveaways at Tennessee, Kansas, Oklahoma, Georgia, Texas, and North Carolina state fairs, as well as at Utah’s Hogel Zoo in Salt Lake City.
• Corn and sunflower mazes: This summer, partnering with The MAiZE Inc., Sesame Street is teaming up with over 30 local farms across the U.S. to create Muppet mazes for the whole family to enjoy. Collectively, the farms will reach up to a million visitors during the fall season.
• Local sports activations: Throughout July and August, Major and Minor League baseball clubs will host Sesame Street-themed days with virtual character greetings, custom giveaways, seventh inning stretch activations, and in-stadium games.
  • MLB stops include:
    • Seattle Mariners, July 21
    • Milwaukee Brewers, July 25
    • Pittsburgh Pirates, August 24
    • New York Mets, August 27
    • Cleveland Guardians, August 31
    • Texas Rangers and St. Louis Cardinals hosted earlier themed days
  • MiLB stops include:
    • Fayetteville Woodpeckers (North Carolina), August 17
    • Fort Wayne TinCaps (Indiana), August 17
    • Albuquerque Isotopes (New Mexico), August 24
    • Sugar Land Space Cowboys (Texas), September 21
    • St. Paul Saints (Minnesota) hosted an earlier themed day

The road trip will be supported by a robust social media campaign featuring the faces and places where Sesame Street friends and fans reside, so families across the country can join in on the fun.

Sesame Street’s most recent road trip across America was in 2019 during its 50th anniversary celebration, when Big Bird, Elmo, Abby Cadabby, and friends delighted fans and families by adopting hometown pride, from Cookie Monster’s memorable seventh inning stretch at Wrigley Field to Elmo’s pitstop at Hitsville, USA. They also had fun with children at locations like the Carnegie Science Center in Pittsburgh and Joint Base Lewis-McChord near Seattle. In each city, producers filmed a new segment capturing what kids love about where they live, which later aired on episodes of Sesame Street.

Sesame Street Road Trip Across America will lead into the premiere of Sesame Street‘s 56th season on Netflix and PBS KIDS later this year.