Sunday, April 10, 2022, from 10 am.–5 p.m.
- Soapbox Derby races (timed trials of each car) from 11–4 p.m.
- Awards Ceremony begins 15 minutes after the last race
Check out our Event Schedule + Lineup page for more details.
Sunday, April 10, 2022, from 10 am.–5 p.m.
Check out our Event Schedule + Lineup page for more details.
This event is free and open to the public. RSVP is encouraged. Register here. (You’ll receive reminder emails from us!)
You do not need to present an Eventbrite ticket to enter this event.
The event will be held in the northeast region of San Francisco’s McLaren Park, from the Jerry Garcia Amphitheater to the McLaren Tennis Courts, with John F. Shelley Drive serving as the racetrack.
For the most direct route, enter the park at Mansell St. and University St. or Cambridge St. and University St.
Public Transportation
McLaren Park can be reached via the 29 Sunset MUNI bus line. The closest stops are at Mansell St. and University St. (inbound) and Mansell St. and Visitacion Ave. (outbound).
Rideshare, Taxi, or Carpool
The best locations for drop off and pick up are the intersections of Mansell St. and John F. Shelley Dr. (top of the racing hill) or Wayland St. and Cambridge St.
Parking
Car parking is limited inside McLaren Park and in the surrounding neighborhoods. If you plan to drive and park, anticipate an additional walking distance to the event site.
Bicycle or Electric Bike
Yes, there is an accessible seating zone near the finish line, as well as in the Theater + Festival zone near the Jerry Garcia Amphitheater.
Masking is encouraged at the 2022 Soapbox Derby at McLaren Park.
SFMOMA is following all federal, state, and local mandates regarding COVID-19 protocols for this event. We will continue to monitor the spread of COVID-19 and communicate additional safety measures and requirements as we approach the event date.
Permitted:
NOT permitted:
Do not leave any bags or belongings unattended at the event site.
Water
Sun protection and comfortable footwear
Find more information about accessible event seating and the accessible event shuttle (wheelchair-accessible cart) in the Safety and Accessibility section.
Yes. Food and beverages will be available for purchase from local vendors at The Lot and the Theater + Festival zone near the Jerry Garcia Amphitheater. There will be vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options.
Our vendors are:
There are no ATMs inside McLaren Park.
Several of our food and beverage vendors accept credit cards.
No, please do not bring your own car.
Yes. Dogs are permitted, but they must remain on leash and cannot be left unattended.
This will be an event with crowds, loud noises, and lots of activity, so please determine if this will be a good environment for your dog. Of course, please clean up after your pet.
Yes, feel free to take photos and videos for your personal use. Tag SFMOMA on social media at @sfmoma and #sfmomaderby to share your images and videos from the event!
Due to space limitation, large-scale camera equipment such as tripods are not allowed, unless you are a member of the press. Members of the press, please contact press@sfmoma.org for further instructions.
Yes, SFMOMA will be documenting this event through photography and video.
By attending this event, you consent to being photographed and filmed, and authorize SFMOMA and its licensees to use your likeness worldwide, in any medium known now or later developed, for purposes in keeping with the museum’s mission or as related to the event.
This is an art and community event for all ages.
Bring your kids to The Pit for family fun! Cast your vote for the Kids’ Choice Award car, make a derby hat and parade down the racetrack, check out some books on the go, and more!
There will be a lost-and-found at the Information Desk at the Theater + Festival zone near the Jerry Garcia Amphitheater.
Beyond the 50+ custom soapbox cars descending the hill one by one, you can expect:
A soapbox derby is a competition in which participants race in homemade motorless vehicles down an inclined raceway, using gravity to propel them.
In fall 2021, SFMOMA’s Public Engagement department invited local community partners and the entire SFMOMA staff to submit nominations for 2022 derby participants. A group of finalists was selected from the nominee list by an SFMOMA staff jury and invited to join the race. In February 2022, an additional 11 entrants were selected to join the derby based on their car design submissions to our Open Call.
Get to know the 2022 participants building cars and trophies on our Soapbox Derby homepage.
Our juried Open Call for the Soapbox Derby has closed, and the winners have already been selected. No additional entrants will join the race.
The 2022 Soapbox Derby at McLaren Park is a revival of a historic event hosted by SFMOMA in the 1970s. We are delighted to bring back this joyous, free community event to honor Bay Area creative ingenuity and resilience during this challenging time.
We chose to return to McLaren Park because it is where the original soapbox derbies were held in 1975 and 1978! It was selected then because of Shelley Drive’s long, curving hill.
Check out our Soapbox Derby homepage, where you can find lots of information about the 2022 revival event as well as the historic events from 1975 and 1978. There, you can watch Amanda Pope’s film The Incredible San Francisco Artists’ Soap Box Derby documenting the original 1975 event!
For further inquiries, please email publicengagement@sfmoma.org or archives@sfmoma.org.