Brooklyn Soapbox Derby Returns to South Slope

Get ready, get set – Park Slope’s annual soapbox derby is around the corner.

Culminating Open Source Gallery’s Soapbox Workshop, in which children learn to construct functional, eco-friendly soap box racers from recycled materials, the race kicks off August 10 at 1 p.m. on 17th Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenue.

At the workshop, kids age seven through 15 are introduced to various tools – drills, screws, power sanders, nails and hammers – and told to plan out their designs. The kids also spend time searching for useful building materials and testing their constructions.

Monika Wuhrer, the derby's creator, told the New York Daily News that participants should ensure they have a solid base, good steering wheel and sturdy parts in their racers.

“This is my way of connecting with and giving back to the neighborhood,” Wuhrer said. “This is a place where all families from the neighborhood can interact and create things.”