Alberni Soapbox Derby will be a two-day event

The Kinsmen Club of Port Alberni will be holding their Soapbox Derby again this year—on a slightly larger scale.

The derby will be a two-day event this year, running from July 29-30, and the club hopes to open the event to adults.

Last year, the Soapbox Derby ran 36 kids down Argyle Street three times in a little over two hours.

“We want to encourage new racers to enter and grow the community event to catch the attention of others from out of town,” said Kinsman Mike Hadley.

Soapbox kart kits will be available for sale with registration, including prebuilt kits and reduced rates for racers returning from last year.

The derby will be open to corporate sponsors, and the Kinsmen Club has national insurance to cover the event.

The Kinsmen Club will also be bringing the classic “Bed Race” back to Port Alberni on July 8.

The task is simple: teams of five (four pushers and one rider) push a bed across town.

The course will run from the Alberni Fall Fair grounds to Clutesi Marina, and should take less than an hour from start to finish.

“I think it’ll be fun, and I think we’ll be surprised at how many entries we have,” said Kinsman Jason Ferguson.