South Slope Derby

The 19th annual South Slope Derby, a celebration of inventiveness and originality, is presented by KoKo NYC! The Annual South Slope Derby has delighted Brooklyn every August for 19 years running, growing into a cherished celebration of ingenuity and creativity. The Derby, which involves gravity-powered soap box vehicles constructed by children in the KoKo NYC workshops using recycled materials, is the finale of the organization’s summer programming. As they design and build their sustainable cars over the course of a week-long workshop, children express their innate inventiveness and hone their engineering and construction skills. Children learn how to create the car’s functioning components, such the brakes and steering, as well as debug and test them alongside our Teaching Artists and Counselors. Kids let their imaginations run wild throughout the construction—who’s to say an automobile can’t also be a dragon?

As they drive along 17th Street in South Slope, Brooklyn, the children test their creations in the South Slope Derby. Every year, more than 500 friends, relatives, and supporters travel from all around the city to support them. More than 100 children’s automobiles are judged on their creativity, design, engineering, and speed by our team of distinguished judges, which consists of elected officials, business entrepreneurs, community leaders, and artists. The New York Times, Brooklyn Magazine, Brooklyn Paper, and other publications have reported on this event. The whole family may enjoy raffles, food vendors, and entertaining activities in addition to the vehicles!Please note: There will be filming and photography taking place at the South Slope Derby.