By Emily Cousins | Staff Writer
This year, the Baylor Homecoming Parade will be a little different than usual. Instead of a traditional parade, Baylor Chamber of Commerce is hosting a Boxcar Bash.
The Baylor Boxcar Bash is modeled after the Pinewood Derby that Boy Scouts host every year for the Cub Scouts, Waco sophomore Cole Tompkins, Homecoming Parade general assistant, said.
“In lieu of the full scale parade, we’re going to host a ‘mini-parade’ in the form of the BAYLOR BOXCAR BASH! You will get to carve your car down to be the sleekest car on the track to compete for both speed and style,” The Baylor Chamber of Commerce said in a caption on Instagram.
Tompkins said each person will get a 7-by-2-inch piece of pinewood, along with four nails and four tires. It’s up to each person to create the best car they can.
“We’re going to have a competition where students will see alumni, whoever wants to really, create their own mini float of sorts in this pinewood car,” Tompkins said. “And we’re gonna let them compete for the fastest car, the slowest car, the most school spirit and the most creative car.”
Frisco junior Ashley Madden, Homecoming Parade chairperson, said registration is open now and will go through Oct. 12. Whether the car will be designed based on speed or look will be decided while registering.
“We need the cars back Wednesday for the preliminary races, and then the final races will be at pep rally Friday night as well as the design judging,” Madden said.
It costs $10 to register, and the money will be used to pay for other homecoming events and the materials for the pinewood car.
“It’s also going to include a commemorative coin for this year’s homecoming parade,” Tompkins said.
The four prizes for each category have been decided, but there are other prizes still being determined, Tompkins said.
“We have a football signed by Dave Aranda, a basketball signed by Kim Mulkey, two tickets to the homecoming game and then some imprints of Joy and Lady’s paws,” Tompkins said.