West Columbia’s Kinetic Derby Day, featuring iMAGINE STEAM Festival, will host the first test run for the obstacle course portion of the races on Saturday, January 28, 2023, from 9 AM – 10 AM, in front of Brookland United Methodist Church, 541 Meeting Street, West Columbia. Meeting Street will be closed from North Witt Street to State Street from 8 AM – 11 AM to prepare for the test run.
First Community Bank, Savage Craft Ale Works, and Pasco are this year’s obstacle course sponsors. Racers will be able to test out the Jello Explosion and Foam Surprise obstacles. In addition to these obstacles, Whetzel’s Automotive’s rollback will be onsite for the first-ever start ramp at Kinetic Derby Day.
Following the test run on Meeting Street, event representatives will lead a soapbox building demonstration at the Richland County Library, 1431 Assembly Street, Columbia, SC, 29201, from 11:30 AM – 12:30 PM. This is a great opportunity to learn about steering, brake mechanisms, and get your soapbox car questions answered.
Registration is open at www.kineticderbyday.com.
About Kinetic Derby Day
West Columbia’s Kinetic Derby Day, featuring iMAGINE STEAM Festival is Saturday, April 22, 2023, from 10 AM – 3 PM. This year, the return of the Kinetic Sculpture Parade will kick off the day, followed by soapbox racing, obstacle course racing, and the iMAGINE STEAM Festival on State Street throughout the day. As always, the event spurs creative thinking, competition, and family fun as teams come together to build unusual vehicles and awe-inspiring art installations. To register to build, race, volunteer, or be a vendor, and join in the fun, visit www.kineticderbyday.com.
The iMAGINE STEAM Festival on State features interactive exhibits emphasizing Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math (STEAM) to ignite the interests of Pre-K through 12th-grade students (and their families) in STEAM subjects by giving them exposure to STEAM careers, skilled trades jobs, and education pathways. The Kids’ Zone, presented by the Boys and Girls Club, will host an exhibition soapbox racing for the little ones.
At the bottom of the hill, a food truck rally hosts festivalgoers for a bite to eat, and West Columbia’s Interactive Art Park houses the Meeting Street Artisan Market for some unique shopping. At the corner of Meeting and State Streets, a giant slide will be sure to bring a crowd. The businesses in the River District will also be open for shopping and dining.
For more information, to volunteer, register a team, or become a vendor, visit www.kineticderbyday.com.
The mission of Kinetic Derby Day is to inspire creative problem-solving, build community pride, and showcase our growing community welcoming economic investment. The event is intended to inspire creative thinkers and help develop problem-solving skills to construct the ideas imagined. For more information, visit www.kineticderbyday.com.
About iMAGINE
iMAGINE is a program of South Carolina’s Coalition for Mathematics & Science (SCCMS) at Clemson University. Its mission is to create meaningful experiences that promote a culture of lifelong learning and professional growth with an emphasis on science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics (STEAM), innovation, and entrepreneurial activity in South Carolina. For more information visit https://www.imaginesteamsc.org/ or contact Dallas Thomas at dthomas@sccoalition.org.
