River Valley Market

Zucchini 500 art by Evan Saito

The produce moves fast at River Valley Market!

Looking for more creative ways to use zucchini? River Valley Market is making a family outing out of it Sunday September 13th with a “Zucchini 500” car race.

“It’s OK to ‘play with your food’ at the Zucchini 500,” says Michael Bray, River Valley Market’s grocery team manager and racing enthusiast. “We want to get more children involved in local agriculture and educate them about the importance of eating fresh vegetables for our health. We hope families will come out to enjoy the event and try some great local foods. My uncle will be here showing his real race car too!”

Kids can create a race car with a zucchini – think pinewood derby – and compete for prizes in six categories. Participants can put local produce to the metal by racing their cars down the track, or they can vie for prizes based on creativity.

Participants will be divided into three age groups: Nine and under, 10 and up, and Adults. “There’s no age limit to living healthy and having fun,” adds Bray. “The Zucchini 500 is a great opportunity for the community to meet, enjoy a creative activity and some friendly competition as well as to enjoy local foods.”

Each zucchini car participant will receive a free ice cream cone from Bart’s Homemade Ice Cream. Door prizes will be drawn every ½ hour. Winners will receive fun prizes.

Event Details at a Glance:
Sunday September 13th Noon-3 PM
River Valley Market 330 North King Street Northampton
12-1:45 Zucchini Car Making: Zucchinis, “wheels”, decals, and decorations provided or participants are welcome to bring their own.
1:45-2:00 Zucchini Car Judging
2:15-3:00 Zucchini 500 Races
12-3 Free Local Food Samples, Recipes, and Door Prizes

Prize Categories
• Fastest Traditional or Free-Style Categories– First to the bottom wins!
• Overall Creative – Will your zucchini car stand out in a crowd?
• Most Nutritious – How many fresh produce parts will your car have?
• School Spirit Theme – A fan of your favorite school’s team? Prove it!
• NASCAR Theme – Design your zucchini race car after your favorite driver’s car!

Zucchini Race Car Requirements
• Traditional Zucchini Cars must be no wider than 10 inches and no longer than 12 inches (including wheels). Free-style Zucchini Cars have no size restrictions.
• NO explosives or fireworks may be included on a car.
• participants are welcome to build cars in advance using their own zucchinis or zucchinis and materials will be available at the market for participants use.