2023 Highlights
Derby Details & Where to Watch
The derby kicks off at 1 p.m. sharp. At 3 p.m., the event features a friendly, juried competition with award categories including Best Large Team, Best Small Team and People’s Choice.
Spectators can catch the contraptions in action at various points along the route, but here are the top spots to watch:
- Trenton Avenue & East Dauphin Street: Serving as the unofficial event entrance, this spot puts you right in the middle of the festival with good views of the vehicle parade. Grab a drink, stuff your face and enjoy the festivities.
- Trenton Avenue & Frankford Avenue: The main performance stage will be pumping tunes all day and sits right along the derby’s main thoroughfare.
- Trenton Avenue & East Norris Street: Get ready for the main event. The climactic finish. The Mud Pit. Serving as both the official starting line and finish line for derby vehicles, this messy cheering spot draws big crowds and fills up early.
For more competition details, including the full route, check out the official website.
— Photo courtesy New Kensington Community Development Corporation
Food, Shopping & Music
Aside from the parade of rigs and gizmos, this family-friendly festival features lots of vendors and entertainment between East Norris Street and East Dauphin Street.
Food and drink vendors include dozens of food trucks, like Bacon on a Stick & That’s It and Kismet Bagels, and several adult beverage purveyors, like Evil Genius Beer Company and Stateside Vodka.
— Photo courtesy New Kensington Community Development Corporation
Countless artists, makers and merchants are also selling locally designed and handcrafted pieces, including accessories, ceramics, art prints, vintage clothing, skincare products and mechanical inventions.
Local bands, including Rockers Galore and The Gretchen Emery Band, jam all day at both the main stage and at the finish line’s Mud Pit stage.
