15th Annual Kensington Derby and Arts Festival is Back With Plenty of Mud, Live Music, Food Trucks and More
Yes you read that right, the Kensington Derby and Arts Festival is now in its 15th year. The derby has steadily increased in popularity over the years and organizers are expecting upwards of 15,000 spectators at this year’s derby taking place Saturday May 13th from noon to 6 pm and is rain or shine.
The official Kensington Derby route will be on Trenton Avenue from Norris Street to Frankford Avenue and will include 200+ artists, musicians, performers, food and drinks, as well as a parade of homemade vehicles. A new parade route spanning across three miles, takes these homemade vehicles from the festival start through the Fishtown neighborhood and over to American St, navigating multiple obstacles along the way, before doubling back to the festival grounds for a mud pit finish.
Winners will be crowned in categories that have ranged over the years like Best Art, Best Costume, Best Engineering, Best Breakdown, Media Choice and, of course, the highly coveted Judge’s Choice Award. NextFab is partnering with the Festival this year to host monthly demos, consults and support for those preparing for the grand event. Thanks to generous support from Penn Treaty Special Services District, there is no fee to enter in the Derby parade. Registration is now open! For more information and to sign-up, visit kensingtonkineticarts.org.
New this year, the Fishtown District is partnering with NextFab at 1800 N American St to be the HQ of the Kensington Derby. As such, they will provide technical assistance to Derby teams assembling their sculptures, and as a part of this partnership, NextFab is providing FREE three month memberships at their 1800 N American St facility to a select few interested teams.
In addition to offering free short term memberships, NextFab will also be hosting monthly demos, technical consultations and support hours for questions/help during their Second Thursday programming (dates below). During these workshops, Rabbit Recycling will also host a pop-up with a broad selection of materials to snag for your sculptures.
“The mud is ready to fly once again on Trenton Avenue!,” said Fishtown District Director of Operations Kae Anderson. “NextFab is thrilled to be partnering with the Kensington Derby this year as the official Kensington Derby HQ! By opening up our makerspace for a three-month workshop series, teams will be advised by our technical experts on how to construct beautiful and functional sculptures. Additionally, in a pop-up hosted by our partner, Rabbit Recycling, teams will have access to free sustainable building materials.
The event is widely known as one of the largest spring festivals in the tri-state region – and it has a reputation as being one of the city’s most memorable and unique events that goes beyond just food, drink and vendors. The derby brings vendors, performers, musicians, food trucks, local businesses and neighbors together in a way that is as unique as the two prominent and fast-growing neighborhoods it takes place in. Last year, to add to the grandness and excitement, the event took place in pouring rain – with the mud flying more than ever! As a testament to how beloved this long-time event is, thousands came out and not just watched and participated but thousands stayed all day long as umbrellas darted the race course.
