Submitted by Karen Smith —
MARIPOSA — The Rotary Mother Load Outhouse Derby Races are coming to Mariposa, and now’s the time to start working on your derby entry!
Outhouse Races pit teams of costumed outhouse racers against each other. One person rides inside on the “throne” while the other two team members push the decorated outhouses down the racetrack.
The races are free to the public and it’s quite the spectacle, so don’t miss this fun and hilarious event reliving history and honor the golden age of outdoor plumbing!
The event will be staged at the Mariposa County Courthouse on Saturday, July 2, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The day will start with inspection by race officials, then a quick parade lap around the Courthouse lead by the The Plungerettes, a mock drill team wielding plungers like batons, followed by all the competitors.
Competitors will race 250 feet along 10th Street in front of the library. Each heat will have two outhouses and the fastest continues to the next round of elimination.
Each Outhouse must weigh at least 200 pounds and stand 6 feet tall, with 9 square feet of flooring, a toilet seat and a roll of toilet paper. No motors, no pedals, no sails, and no dogs as teammates. Let your creative juices flow with this! Old bed frames, bicycles, scraps of wood and metal can all be utilized to create your vision of the fastest outhouse in the West. Don’t be number two in this race to the finish!
Join us on the Mariposa County Courthouse lawn for races, music, food and drinks, vendors and laughs! Trophies will be awarded to 1st, 2nd and 3rd place. In addition, there will be a People’s Choice Award. Along with the first place trophy, the first place winner will have their entrance fee paid for the World Championship Outhouse Races in Virginia City, NV.
Funds raised from the event will go to fund the building of an outdoor fitness park located next to the Senior Center. Dave Gerken of Alpine Builders has constructed a wooden outhouse/garden shed to be raffled off the day of the event. Thank you Sierra Tel for your sponsorship!
Entry forms and vendor applications are available at http://mariposarotary.org. You’ll also find detailed instructions on how you can build your own outhouse. For more information contact Karen Smith at 209-769-8198 or by email: smithandmartin@sti.net. Google Outhouse Races for some ideas!
Karen Smith is the president of Mariposa Yosemite Rotary Club.
