Derby Days gets ready to roll

Rusty Rae/News-Register##Oren Cates listens to his grandfather, Mark Pendergrass, give a pointer about driving his car in the Derby Days event Saturday at Beulah City Park. Partially hidden in the center is Gus Womack and at right is Chris Alexander. Oren made numerous runs in the practice session Tuesday evening, along with other local youths getting ready for the competition Saturday.

Rusty Rae/News-Register##Eight-year-old Ben Blatner of Yamhill takes his first test run on the derby ramp Tuesday night with the help of his crew chief, and father, David. After getting used to the downhill track with a couple of short runs, Ben made several from the start gate at the top. This will be Ben’s first year in the derby.

Rusty Rae/News-Register##Also entering her first derby is 8-year-old Emma Womack, shown here with eyes focused on the finish line as her car travels through the bottom section of the race course.

With a “Liberty and Legends” theme honoring veterans, the 72nd annual Yamhill Derby Days festival will kick off Friday, July 18, and continue all day Saturday, July 19.

The festival will include a grand parade, a variety of activities in Beulah City Park, about 30 vendor booths and the signature event, soap box derby races. Local youngsters race their homemade derby cars down a steep ramp in the park — a tradition that launched the festival back in 1953.

Community members, former residents and visitors will gather at 6:30 p.m. Friday for coronation of the Derby Days court. Members are Yamhill Carlton High School students who have been working for weeks to market the festival. They are Sophia Crawford, Natalie Frey, Madison Guinn, Saige Hinckley and Lucas Partin.

Friday activities will start at 4 p.m. and include bingo, vendor booths and a beer garden in the park.

Saturday morning festivities will open with the grand parade.

Entries will line up at YC High School starting at 9 a.m. At 10 a.m., the parade will roll along Highway 47 toward the park. Local resident Murray Paolo, who has been serving a mission for his church in Italy, returned home to announce the parade from the center of town.

Veterans will ride as grand marshals. They can register through the Derby Days Facebook page. Parade organizer Amanda Matlock said preregistration will help the committee know how many cars it needs to carry everyone.

While all veterans are welcome, the special honorary grand marshal is former longtime resident Charlie Bauer. He served in the Air Force in the early 1960s.

After the parade, the action will move to the park. Booths will be open selling food, beverages and arts and crafts. Bingo will be running.

A silent auction from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and a live auction at 2 p.m. will raise funds for park improvements, hosted by the Yamhill Community Club, which sponsors Derby Days

At noon, a quartet will sing the National Anthem as the American flag is raised in the center of the park.

The beer garden will also reopen at noon.

Derby car races begin at 12:30 p.m. Children 8 to 11 years of age can compete. Many are the children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren of past participants.

Other competitions that afternoon will include the popular frog jumping contest at 3 p.m. and an adult tricycle race at 4:30.

Music will finish out the event, starting at 7 p.m. with Hucklebuck Highway.

On Sunday, Yamhill residents have a tradition of gathering to help clean up the park following Derby Days.