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What’s the one vegetable that seems to take over the garden in August? You guessed it…..zucchini. What to do with all that zucchini?! Of course, you can eat it, but the folks in Sonoma have come up with another fun way to enjoy it……stage a zucchini race!
On Tuesday, August 4, 2009 a large crowd gathered at the Sonoma Valley Farmers' Market to watch 43 hopeful zucchini car racers bid for the fastest zucchini in their class…..small, medium and large. Pre-race activity was to check out the other competitors to see how well built they were to survive the 3-second run down the track. As the famous Olympics quote goes, would they enjoy “the ecstasy of victory or the agony of defeat?”
 As race time approached the crowd gathered closer with cameras in hand, each cheering on his/her creatively decorated zucchini. As expected their were a few “crash and burns” with one winner in each class narrowly beating out the other competitors.
After much laughter, shouting and cheering, three top winners emerged, one from each class. The winner for the small division was a cool Hawaiian dude by the name of “Uke Zuke.” Not only did he win fastest in his class, but also most creative…way to go for a rookie entry submitted by Bob Hartsock, Rachel Meserve and Eileen Beltrono. Paige Knef’s entry won for fastest in the medium division winner.
The big win for the largest division and we are talking BIG was an entry called “Rat-on-Wheels” submitted by Pat Plowman. The “Rat” experienced an identity crisis as some onlookers decided it looked more like a kitty and cheered it on as a kitty. In either case it won not only in its division, but also as overall Grand Champion beating the other two division winners in the final race.
So, the rat or kitty became the fastest zucchini in Sonoma County! Upon her victory Pat gave credit to her “grower.” “Yes, I have to give my "grower" Jerry Kerschman credit as he diligently grew me the perfect zucchini (it weighed in at about 9 pounds) and I will have to pay him off in dinners and/or wine over the next year, as to butter him up for next year's competition.”
The other first place creativity winners were Lilly Cetrangold for the medium division and Janet Joost for the large division. “Zucchini Dollars” were given to each of the winners to spend at the Farmers' Market.
Hilda Swartz, race organizer and Sonoma Valley Farmers' Market manager came up with the idea for the Zucchini Races 20 years ago and it continues to be a much anticipated and fun event each year.
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Zucchini Race Rules:
- Use a zucchini
- No wider than 10 inches
- No skateboards, no roller skates, no doll buggys
- Be creative!
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So, get creative and come join the fun next year!
Photo Credit: Hilda Swartz
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