I was today days old when I learned that Raleigh has had, for over two decades, a neighborhood tradition where costumed racers push homemade cars down a hill using nothing but gravity — and it’s completely free to watch.
What It Actually Is
The Kirby Derby is a three-part event: a pinewood-car race, a costumed parade, and a soapbox derby, all held now at Dorothea Dix Park in Raleigh. Entrants design and build their own gravity-powered cars from scratch — no motors allowed — and both drivers and spectators regularly show up in costume, making it as much a costume parade as it is a race. Sources: Kirby Derby (official site), Dix Park.
The History
It started small in 2002, when Aly and Beth Khalifa led a short parade down Kirby Street in the Pullen Park Terrace neighborhood, celebrating creativity and homemade fun. The soapbox derby portion wasn’t added until year five, in 2006. As it grew, the event eventually outgrew its own neighborhood street, moving to Dorothea Dix Park in 2017 — the 16th annual Kirby Derby — in partnership with the City of Raleigh. That same year, Pullen Park Terrace won the National Neighborhood of the Year Silver Award for social revitalization, and organizers credit the Kirby Derby’s community-building impact specifically for that recognition — worth noting that the award itself went to the neighborhood, not the event. Sources: Kirby Derby (official site), Triangle on the Cheap.
This Year: The 24th Annual Kirby Derby
The 2026 event is the 24th annual Kirby Derby, happening Saturday, August 22, 2026, from 3pm to 9pm at Dix Park’s Harvey Hill area on Cranmer Drive in Raleigh. This year’s theme is “Kirby Derby ROADTRIP!” and it’s completely free to attend. The schedule runs: 3pm pinewood-car check-in (racing starts 3:30pm), 4pm parade lineup (parade starts 4:30pm), 5pm soapbox derby check-in (racing starts 5:30pm), and 7pm live music, with food trucks and beer available for purchase throughout. Sources: Kirby Derby (official site), WUNC, Dix Park.
The Rules — and What Makes a Car “Legal”
The soapbox derby cars are gravity-powered only, racing downhill on a curved course lined with hay bales and equipped with speed bumps. Helmets are mandatory, and every car needs working brakes, working steering, and a minimum of three wheels to compete. Soapbox racers themselves must be 18 or older, and every soapbox racer is also required to participate in the parade. Registration is required in advance for all three competitive events — the pinewood race, the parade, and the soapbox derby — and while there’s no confirmed exact registration deadline, organizers recommend checking the official site early if you want to compete. Source: Kirby Derby (official site).
Color From Last Year’s Winners
The tone of the event shows up best in its actual winners. At the 2025 (23rd annual) Kirby Derby, the Derby Winner was “Wiener Takes All,” driven by Tres Wilson; People’s Choice went to “Bat Outta Hello Kitty,” driven by Garrett Lasher; and Best Theme Use went to “2 Peas in a Pod,” driven by Karim Khalifa — worth noting he shares a surname with founders Aly and Beth Khalifa, though that family connection isn’t explicitly confirmed in the sourcing. Source: Kirby Derby (official site).
If you’re heading out to watch, the recommended entrances into Dix Park are Hunt Drive off Western Blvd (across from the prison) or Blair/Bilyeu to Umstead from Centennial Blvd. And if a homemade, gravity-powered car with your name on it sounds appealing, registration for the pinewood race, parade, and soapbox derby is required in advance — check the official Kirby Derby site for details before Saturday, August 22.