50 MPH, Ridiculous Cars, And Family Fun At The PDX Adult Soapbox Derby

Many years ago, some friends, family, and I decided to take part in the PDX Adult Soapbox Derby. We didn’t really know anything about building derby cars or how to race them, but we figured it would still be a ton of fun to participate. For me, the closest thing I came to building one was one of the smaller model derby cars for Boy Scouts when I was a kid. Aerodynamics? Never crossed my mind. Lightweight? Irrelevant. We set out to nail and glue some pieces of wood together, get wheels that would spin somewhat, and hope the steering wheel stayed connected while racing down the hill. 

The part that we were most fixated on was coming up with a theme. Several of my family members had lived in Germany over the years and are more or less fluent in the language. Because of that, one of us had the brilliant idea of having our derby car be a German food cart. The German aspect gave a nod to those family members, and the food cart paid homage to a unique feature of Portland (back then, food carts were more of just a Portland thing).

A common German food is various types of sausages like bratwursts, currywursts, and so on. So, we thoughtfully named our derby German food cart The Wurst Place In Town. We still have the custom banner we had made for it hanging in a family member’s car shop. 

So how did we end up doing in the race? Terrible. I’m pretty sure we got last place. That said, it was an experience that I will always remember and hope to do again sometime in the future. 

Something that always has stuck out to me is the great number of people that came out to watch the race. And honestly, I think this upcoming PDX Adult Soapbox Derby happening on Saturday, August 15^th from 10:00am to 4:00pm is definitely worth taking the kids out to go and watch.

The race is at Mt. Tabor, and there is a ton of fun stuff for everyone to do. 

This year marks the derby’s 27^th year, so it has certainly become embedded in Portland culture over the decades. There is also a noticeably charming community effort to put this race on. All expenses total around $50,000 to make this happen, and they rely on donations from individuals and local businesses. 

There is also a robust volunteer crew that helps put it all together. Heading over to watch this race is truly a beautiful thing to see because of everyone’s dedication. Plus, watching all of the innovative and often hilarious designs of every soapbox derby is something that will have you cracking up for days. Not to mention, some of them go wildly fast. Like, upwards of 50 mph fast. 

Spectators are welcome to bring their own food and drinks, especially if they plan on setting up their own picnic while watching the race. But there will be plenty of food and drink vendors if you want to go that route instead. Not to mention, there will also be an art village with crafts for sale. And if you are someone who loves to get their hands on some merch, plenty will be available. 

The idea for a soapbox derby race in Portland came after the founder, Eric Foren, watched one in San Francisco back in the 90s. The chaos, the speed, and the cheering got him absolutely hooked, and he knew he needed to bring something similar to our city. The setting for the race at Mt. Tabor, an urban volcano, made perfect sense, and the first race came to fruition just a couple of years later. 

There are 42 race teams, 150 volunteers, and around 7,000 spectators to witness this wild race. Seeing just how many people come together to support and make this race happen is a wonderful reminder of the power of community and the importance of sharing that with our children. The motto for the PDX Adult Soapbox Derby is Science/Art/Engineering/Fun. They prove this theme year after year. 

So, while all racers must be at least 21 years of age to participate, anyone can watch this creative and incredibly fun race. This could even be a race that we parents take part in and have our kids help with the build. Regardless, make some time to take the family out to watch the race this year. It’s a spectacular spectacle and certainly won’t be The Wurst Place In Town.