Wilkeson preparing for annual parade, hand car races

Races will return July 31

By Ray Miller-Still • June 17, 2021 9:30 am
Unless you’re extra burley, Wilkeson Handcar Races competitors often need a team of four people to race their handcar down the 400-foot-plus railroad track. Photo by Ray Miller-Still
Unless you’re extra burley, Wilkeson Handcar Races competitors often need a team of four people to race their handcar down the 400-foot-plus railroad track. Photo by Ray Miller-Still

The Wilkeson Handcar Races are returning to the sleepy little town at the edge of the Carbon Glacier.

Canceled last year due to the coronavirus pandemic, the races will be held on July 31.

“This is a different date than our normal third weekend in July because we weren’t sure what the COVID-19 rules were going to be and wanted that extra time in case of a late Phase change,” said Daryl Dinwiddie of the Wilkeson Booster Club, which organizes the annual event. “The governor didn’t set the opening until after we had settled on the July 31st date.”

This will be the 46th year Wilkeson hosts the races.

The day starts out with an 11 a.m. parade that begins at the Caboose in the center of town, winds past Wilkeson’s various businesses, continues down state Route 165 by the new Bacon and Eggs Skatepark, and ends at Chuck’s Gas Station.

Participating in the parade is free to all comers; you can sign up for the parade at the Caboose starting at 9 a.m. If you want to sign up early, head to www.wilkesonboosterclub.org.

The parade is followed by the hand car races, which begin at 1 p.m. at Coke Oven Park.

For those who don’t know how the races operate, teams of two or four — plus a “pusher” to get the cart started — race against the clock as they pump themselves across roughly 410 feet of railroad track before having to stop and reverse back to the starting line.

This year, there will also be a “Pusher” competition to see who can shove the hand car the furthest in a single push, Dinwiddie said.

The cost to race is $5 per person per race.

Of course, not everyone is looking to get all sweaty under the Washington sun, so for those that want to sit back and relax, a beer garden — operated by the Wilkeson Eagles — will be open during the races.

Additionally, various vendors will be selling their wares at Coke Oven Park as well. If you’re interested in being a vendor, you can also head to www.wilkesonboosterclub.org/parade-vendor-forms to download an application form.