This Week At The Washington Auto Show: Sports Stars, Children's Characters Entertain at D.C.'s largest public show

WASHINGTON -- Jan. 28, 2015: Whether or not cars start your engine, there's something to rev you up at The Washington Auto Show®! The largest public show in D.C. and a Washington winter tradition for generations, The Washington Auto Show will present a slew of special events to entertain the whole family.

Highlights of the rest of the 10-day show, which runs through Sunday, Feb. 1, include:

Legendary WWE® Superstar Randy Orton®, aka "The Viper." Orton will visit the show TONIGHT from 6-8 p.m. to face off against his favorite cast of characters: his fans!

The Washington Auto Show's legendary Hands-On Contest is back! The hottest reality TV show in town began on Tuesday as nine Washingtonians compete for a brand-new Hyundai! The contestants must physically maintain contact with the vehicle through Sunday at noon, with only 15-minute breaks every three hours. Who do you think will drive home with the Hyundai?!

Caps fans rejoice! Washington Capitals Center Brooks Laich will visit the auto show on Thursday evening, Jan. 29. Laich has been grabbing headlines lately for his amazing antics on ice – just ask anyone who caught him score the game-winning goal in the Caps Jan. 7 victory over the Maple Leafs. He's also been gracing tabloids as the so-called "arm candy" of Hollywood singer-actor-dancer Julianne Hough. Come see the Canadian heartthrob for yourself at the auto show!

Lego characters from "The Lego Movie" are on a serious mission: to play with their fans at The Washington Auto Show Saturday, Jan. 31 and Sunday, Feb. 1.

They may be wingless but these animated birds will swoop into town for The Washington Auto Show. Check out Red Bird from Angry Birds weekdays from 4 to 8 p.m. and ask what they're so mad about!

The Washington Auto Show announces a new character joining the mascots at the Family Fun Zone! Tracy the Baby Triceratops makes his U.S. Debut at the 2015 Washington Auto Show, appearing weekdays from 4 to 8 p.m. "Tracy" was designed by Pier21 Co. Ltd of Saitama, Japan with lightweight materials, elaborately detailed painting and pneumatics to create state-of-the-art walk- around creatures.

Courtesy of WHUT, PBS Kids Characters will be meeting and greeting youngsters in the Family Fun Zone, a special area just for kids, at The Washington Auto Show on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. and on Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

If you've been grooming your little one to read, then you probably know all about Whyatt Beanstalk a.k.a. Super Why! and Princess Pea a.k.a. Princess Presto. The PBS Kids characters become superheroes as they solve their daily problems by drawing on the lessons of legendary literary characters.

An animal made of words? That's right! Pre-school kids can literally watch language come alive with PBS Kids' WordFriends – animals whose bodies are made up of the letters that spell the word they are.

If you've missed Mister Rogers' Neighborhood (and who doesn't?), you can visit the next generation of the series at The Washington Auto Show. The star of Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood, Daniel is the son of Daniel Striped Tiger from Mister Rogers' Neighborhood and his show includes children of some of the other beloved characters from the Neighborhood of Make-Believe. Pay tribute to Mister Rogers with a visit to part of his legacy: Daniel Tiger.

Together with her ukulele and her best friend Cat, Peg is a young girl on a mission: to solve math problems! Peg and Cat from PBS Kids will dazzle the math whiz in every kid at The Washington Auto Show.

Produced by the Washington Area New Automobile Dealers Association (WANADA), The Washington Auto Show features more than 700 new makes and models from more than 42 global manufacturers.

For more information about show discounts and schedules, please visit The Washington Auto Show online at: Washington Auto Show.

Show hours are as follows: Wednesday, Jan. 28 and Thursday, Jan. 29, noon - 9 p.m.; Friday, Jan. 30, noon -10 p.m.; Saturday, Jan. 31, 10 a.m. – 10 p.m.; and Sunday, Feb. 1, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.