What do Camp Cole, Missouri, Seattle, Washington, Kootenay County, British Columbia and Sonoma, California, all have in common? Apparently, they all have too much zucchini spilling out of the local gardens around this time of year. All of these communities hold an annual Zucchini Race event in an otherwise normal and lovely public space.
The great local music that is usually enjoyed on Tuesdays will be replaced by the screams, cries and exhaltations of the designers of some of the fastest vegetables on Earth. Sonoma’s ever popular Zucchini Races will be held during the farmers market on Tuesday, Aug. 6 at the Plaza.
Folks with a hankerin’ to turn one of those green behemoths out in the garden into a piece of rolling art are encouraged to participate. Several dozen do. The rules are fairly simple: the modified squash must have at least two wheels, be no more than 10 inches wide and must roll freely down the ramp. There are only three length categories; up to 10 inches long, between 10 and 16 inches long, and over 16 inches long. In zucchini racing, size does matter.
Registration begins at 5:30 p.m., judging at 6 p.m., and the races begin at 6:30 p.m. The official flyer for the event promises “Lots of Winners and Prizes.” And, please, take your zucchini home with you at the end of the event.
A related fact: the world’s record for the largest zucchini is held by a man named Giovanni Batista Scozzafava. His squash was even longer than his name, a monstrous 99 inches long, an 18 wheeler of a zucchini!
And what exactly is the music angle here? There is none. Unless some clever individual designs a zuke to look like a Strat. Stranger things have happened, and just might again on Tuesday evening.
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