FOLSOM — Few places embrace tradition quite like Historic Folsom, where cobblestone crosswalks, brick-front shops, and a lively district of restaurants and galleries create a backdrop steeped in both history and community. On any given weekend, visitors stroll the sidewalks where Gold Rush-era buildings stand shoulder to shoulder with modern boutiques. This weekend, however, the scene will shift dramatically as the sound of wagon wheels from the past is replaced by the rush of soap box cars. The All-American Folsom Soap Box Derby Rally returns to Sutter Street for its 7th annual running, bringing with it two full days of racing, rivalry, and the continuation of a local story nearly 75 years in the making.
Racers ranging in age from 7 to 20 will take to the hill in handcrafted cars designed not for engines but for gravity. The races begin at Wool Street and stretch toward Community West Bank, with volunteers standing ready at Reading Street to catch cars and drivers before trailers return them to the top of the hill. The double-elimination format ensures plenty of thrills and second chances, and by the end of each day, trophies will be awarded to the top three finishers in all divisions.
For newcomers, loaner cars are available — a tradition that ensures this event is as welcoming as it is competitive. Families who’ve spent months in their garages sanding, painting, and tinkering on cars will line up alongside first-timers who only just learned to strap on a helmet. It is this balance of veteran racers and wide-eyed beginners that gives the derby its unique energy and its ability to draw crowds from across Northern California.
What makes the Folsom derby truly distinctive is its setting. Few communities can boast of hosting a nationally sanctioned soap box rally in the heart of a historic district, where racers roll past century-old storefronts, diners serve breakfast to families before the first heats, and cheering sections gather on sidewalks that have seen more than a century of parades, festivals, and community gatherings. The juxtaposition of youthful energy with the timeless charm of Historic Folsom gives this event an atmosphere unlike any other stop on the national circuit.
The sport itself has a long history here. Folsom first embraced soap box racing in the early 1950s, with East Natoma Street serving as the original racecourse. The steep grade near City Hall and Folsom Prison gave kids a perfect stretch to test their homemade cars. In 1953, during the Pioneer Festival, David Casten of Orangevale narrowly beat Folsom’s Elton Ellis, an early highlight in what became a cherished local pastime. By the 1960s, the growing Aerojet company sponsored races on its grounds, and in 1961, the Folsom event even became a qualifier for international competition. These races connected local kids to a sport that was sweeping the country — and gave Folsom its first brush with a national legacy.
Though the tradition eventually faded, the memories lived on in family scrapbooks and community lore until 2018, when local residents Karen Holmes and Mike McKernan brought the idea back to life. Holmes, a member of the Folsom Historic District Association Board, had long envisioned soap box racing returning to Sutter Street. With McKernan’s help and a call to the American Soap Box Derby Association in Akron, Ohio, Folsom became part of the Northern California circuit. Since then, the Folsom race has grown into a respected stop, attracting competitors from Washington, Utah, Los Angeles, and the Bay Area, as well as locals eager to try their hand at a sport that blends engineering with adrenaline.
“This Folsom race is very much on the radar of racers abroad,” said Holmes. “It’s pretty amazing to see people’s reaction and excitement when they realize we are from Folsom, they immediately knew about the Folsom race.”
The Northern California Soap Box Derby chapter, based in Silicon Valley, has been instrumental in growing the sport regionally. Established in the mid-2000s after children in Palo Alto and Campbell first competed in Vallejo, the chapter has since added race sites in Livermore, Los Gatos, Tuolumne, and Mountain View, and reintroduced “Super Kids” racing for children with disabilities. In 2019, Folsom joined the circuit, quickly becoming a favorite destination thanks to its scenic historic district and enthusiastic community support.
Soap box racing itself has a national legacy stretching back to 1933, when Dayton, Ohio photographer Myron Scott organized the first official race after watching neighborhood kids compete in homemade cars. By 1934, the All-American Soap Box Derby was born, and Akron became its permanent home. By the 1950s, soap box racing was a cultural phenomenon, with thousands of spectators crowding the hills to watch hometown champions compete for national titles. The finals even drew celebrities, cementing soap box derby as a staple of mid-century Americana.
Folsom’s inclusion in the modern Rally World Championship — introduced in 1993 — means its racers have a chance to earn points that could eventually take them to Akron. But beyond the competition, what keeps families coming back each year is the atmosphere: the sound of wheels buzzing against asphalt, the sight of cars painted with family names and bright colors, the pride of kids climbing out of their racers to cheers from the crowd.
Now in its 7th year, the Folsom derby has established itself as both a revival of local history and a cornerstone of Historic Folsom’s community calendar. For some, the weekend stirs memories of parents or grandparents who once raced down East Natoma Street or at Aerojet. For others, it marks the start of a new family tradition built in garages and carried out on the slope of Sutter Street.
And for Historic Folsom, it is one more example of how the district continues to honor its past while creating new experiences for generations to come.
For more details, including rules, divisions, and safety information, visit siliconvalley.soapboxderby.org.
Copyright © 2025, Folsom Times, a digital product of All Town Media LLC. All rights reserved. No portion of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the publisher.
