South Slope Derby

KoKo NYC – Sculptures on Wheels by Cody Powers

As we approach the 2026 South Slope Derby, we are so excited to share the beautiful short documentary film KoKo NYC – Sculptures on Wheels by Cody Powers featuring the 2025 Soap Box kids and South Slope Derby! Thank you to the film production team!

The South Slope Derby will take place on Saturday, August 29, 2026!

Saturday, August 29, 2026, 12 – 3 PM
17th Street between 5th Ave. and 6th Ave., Brooklyn
RSVP

KoKo NYC presents the 19th annual South Slope Derby, a celebration of creativity and innovation!

For 19 years and counting the Annual South Slope Derby has thrilled Brooklyn every August, becoming a beloved celebration of creativity and innovation. The Derby is the culmination of KoKo NYC’s summer programming and features gravity-powered soap box vehicles made from recycled materials and built by kids in the KoKo NYC workshops. During week-long workshops, kids develop their building and engineering skills and express their natural ingenuity as they imagine and construct their sustainable cars. Together with our Teaching Artists and Counselors, kids learn to design the functional elements of the car, such as steering and brakes, troubleshooting and testing along the way. Throughout the build, kids let their imaginations run wild – who’s to say a car can’t also be a dragon?

In the South Slope Derby, the kids put their creations to the test as they drive down 17th Street in South Slope, Brooklyn. They are cheered on by over 500 friends, family, and fans who travel from all over the city every year. Our panel of esteemed judges includes elected officials, business owners, community leaders, and artists who evaluate the cars of over 100 kids on creativity, design, engineering, and speed. This event has been covered in the New York Times, Brooklyn Magazine, Brooklyn Paper, and more. In addition to the cars there are raffles, food vendors, and fun activities for the whole family to enjoy!

This event is free and open to the public to join as spectators.

Please note: There will be filming and photography taking place at the South Slope Derby.

August 29th, South Slope Derby: More information and RSVP
For more details, please contact: info@kokonyc.org

2026 South Slope Derby Judges:

Alex Ussery: NYC Dept. of Transportation Engineer and Project Manager on the School Safety team
Ashley and Matt Graber: Owners of Cool Hand Movers
Moein Shashaei: Artist, Designer, and Educator
Ricky Rajan: Recent graduate of NYU Tandon School of Engineering
Sheryll Durrant: Garden Manager of Kelly Street Garden
William Bastien: School Bus Driver