Who’s ready for a day at the races? The legendary Annual Zucchini Car Races are making a comeback. They’re scheduled to return to the Los Gatos Farmers’ Market Sunday, June 21. Landing on Father’s Day, this will be a fun way to bond with the family and work together to design the perfect race car—out of a zucchini. These are the sorts of special moments that will last a lifetime. The main event will start at 11am.
The day of the race, we will transform Los Gatos Town Plaza Park into a race arena. Plan to arrive with plenty of time to find a zucchini from one of the vegetable stalls; build, customize, name and register your vehicle before 10:45am. Last year, we saw a record-breaking number of sign-ups; 128 to be exact. So, give your family plenty of time to build and register your vehicle.
(Susan Campbell)
Zucchini Race Cars will compete to claim the title for Fastest Car and Most Creative Car. Families can choose to decorate their race car at home or at the pit stop the day of the race. Plenty of craft items will be on hand to bedazzle those zucchini hot rods. Creative home builds we’ve seen in the past have included: a school bus, black cat, snail, duck, harbor seal, Lego Star Wars duel between Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader, Spiderman and much more. Zucchini Race Car rules are as follows: the axles must go through the zucchini, no weights or motors, the zucchini car must not be wider than 6.5 inches with wheels and no longer than 16 inches.
When building a race car the day of the event, participants first select a zucchini at any of the veggie stalls. Then head over to Wheels & Axels and have one of the crew members help install axles and wheels on the zucchini. Next, customize your car with provided decorations. Once the customization is complete, head over to Registration. Here, families will give their zucchini car a special name and get a number assigned to the car.
At 11am the race will begin. The zucchini race cars will fly down the track, in one heat after another. This is where things really get fun. An announcer calls out the name of each car as they launch down the track. The crowd jumps and cheers as they watch the green vehicles whiz along. Some cars are faster than expected; others veer off completely and never make it to the finish line. Each heat brings something new and exciting as the crowd leans in to see which car is destined for the semi-finals. Then the four fastest cars will head into the finals. It’s in this final round that the fastest car is revealed.
The Zucchini Car Races are one of my personal favorite days at the Los Gatos Farmers’ Market. Witnessing the community’s excitement and joy during the event is extraordinary. It is truly incredible to see children celebrate their own builds. Watching with wonder and awe, they can see what started as a simple zucchini transform into a race car rolling quickly down a giant track. It is so inspiring to see the bridge between art, science and fun rolled out. Moments like these spark a little joy, wonder and creativity sure to stay with you for years to come.
As a mother myself, I look back to the small adventures and outings that made a lasting impact for my son during his early childhood years. Taking time to lean-in with curiosity about nature and science can be foundational for children. The Zucchini Car Races are one of those free and fun family adventures that will continue to spark joy. What better way to celebrate Fathers’ Day than a day in the park building something fun and creating priceless moments to enjoy for years to come.
Susan Campbell has been the market manager of Los Gatos Farmers’ Market since 2022. Supporting family farms, Bay Area biodiversity, and food photography are her passions.
