Macon Magazine

April/May 2024

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124 maconmagazine.com | April/May 2024 making a wedge-of-cheese-shaped car with a mouse on the hood. To best enjoy the derby, Castle says, "Pick a car and root for them, like you would at the Indy 500," and interact with contestants and vendors. On the younger end of the contestant spectrum is Jayme Heath, Northeast High School valedictorian. She is competing in the STEM Gravity Racing Challenge again this year. She says, "It's not just a competition ... You learn about the topics of physics and aerodynamics before the race begins ... We have to fine-tune the vehicle, conduct trials, and reinstall essential parts." Heath believes these skills will serve her well as she pursues her aerospace engineering degree at Georgia Tech. Dr. Suneetha Panda, faculty sponsor of their derby team, says she loves to see the light in students' eyes when they solve an engineering problem as a team. Mariana Furlin, Wesleyan College faculty and derby board member, says the derby is "a beloved tradition because it activates so many facets of our amazing community! From the racers who plan, design and build cars, to the supporters rallying for their team, to the incorporation of STEAM principles so that we all grow in knowledge, beauty and appreciation, to the regional vendors who come to feed and hydrate us, to the volunteers who help make it a success, and to the volunteer board who meet all throughout the year to ensure all of this goes off smoothly!" So, pack a lawn chair or blanket, get there early to secure your spot, and prepare to be thrilled and entertained. E very Second Saturday in April, Washington Park whooshes to life with soapbox races, DJs, food trucks, drumline and dance performances, and art and STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) activities for kids. Over 5,000 spectators flock to watch from behind hay bales and barricades. The joyful hubbub's cause? Magnolia Soap Box Derby. Since the Great Depression when boys raced down a hill in Dayton, Ohio, in soap crates on wheels, these races have been an All-American tradition. Macon's first derby dates to 1936. Over the next near- century, the event came and went under various names, but since 2009, it's been a staple of the city's calendar. For this 14th annual event, racers of all ages, stages, and genders will bring creativity and engineering skills to custom-built vehicles. Some are built for fun, others for speed, depending on which of the four events in the racing series the vehicle is for: 1 THE PROFESSIONAL DIVISION Higher-budget cars built for speed 2 THE SHADETREE DIVISION Grassroots cars built for creativity and fun 3 STEM GRAVITY RACING CHALLENGE Students bring STEM to the racetrack 4 KIDS BIG WHEEL RACE A free tricycle race for kids ages five – 10 Jack Castle, age 80, thinks he might be the oldest maker in the competition. Since 2002, he's competed to entertain. The year he won Best in Show in the Shadetree Division, he spent 100 hours making a covered wagon car with silhouette horses on sur oards in front. Another year, he made a top fuel dragster with dry ice exhaust pipes. This year, he's For more info, visit magnoliaderby.com. After you go, send us your photos for Faces to hello@maconmagazine.com. A p r i l 1 3 , 10 : 3 0 a .m . – 4 p .m . a t Wa s h i n g t o n Pa r k M a g n o l i a S o a p B o x D e r b y : a g o o d t i m e ! W H E E L Y BY CARIS WEINBERG AND MM STAFF | PHOTOS BY JESSICA WHITLEY AND CHRISTOPHER IAN SMITH, COURTESY OF MSBD CLOCKWISE FROM DRUMS Streetline Drum Corps performs. 100.9 The Creek's team. Post-race jubilation. Kids Big Wheel Race. Photos by Christopher Ian Smith. TOP LEFT Hutchings College & Career Academy races. Photo by Jessica Whitley.

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