A Vintage Racecar Cub Scout Pinewood Derby (2024)

Calling all racecar fans! It’s Jen Carver here fromBanner Events, and I am thrilled to share this vintage racecar Cub Scout Pinewood Derby I planned with help from my awesome pit crew.

It may just fill your need for speed whether your celebration is a birthday or a derby!

We revved up excitement for this annual event by sending out incredible racecar invitations and loading up on racecar inspired decorations, party supplies and party food.

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If you’re familiar with Cub Scouts, then you know all about the Pinewood Derby. But for those who are in the dark, this event challenges boys to design their own racecar using a commercial car kitand a set ofstrict rules on car design.

On race day, with finished cars in hand, the Cubs test the quality of their designs by racing against one another. It’s a fun event the boys and their families look forward to every year.

We began gearing up for our Cub Scout Pinewood Derby by sending out adorable “Pit Crew Pass” style invitations designed by Anders Ruff.

Our Cub crew and their families couldn’t wait to race over and test their cars on the Pinewood Derby track!

We were blown away by the variety of car designs! The boys, with help from their parents, created some pretty impressive cars!

As each Cub Scout arrived, he was directed to the “Pit Stop”, where each car was inspected for rule compliance and weight.

After successfully passing clearance for racing, each racer was issued a driver’s license and was instructed to place his car in our designated parking lot until the main event.

The focus of our event definitely centered on the Pinewood Derby track, which is where all the fast-paced action took place.

Using checkered car lot flags, we roped off the audience viewing section to prevent any interference with the track and help give the area a festive race day feel.

At the conclusion of the racing and to keep guests happy while judges were finalizing awards, the racers and their families were invited to enjoy refreshments from our dessert table.

We added a variety of simple props and decorations to tie in the vintage racecar theme.

Using a customized printable backdrop poster (also from the Anders Ruff collection, as were many of the themed printables), we were able to create an impressive display.

Mylar balloons with a racecar motif were hung in clusters on each side of the table to create that extra sense of importance about this event.

The front of the table was accented with a printable “happy racing” banner. It was the perfect decoration to dress up a simple black tablecloth.

With over 100 people to feed, we opted to keep the tabletop props and décor to a minimum so we could easily accommodate enough treats for our crew.

Checkered racing flags and tin cans embellished with vintage inspired motor oil labels were our only props.

Instead of props, racecar inspired desserts were carefully chosen to reinforce the theme. Printable labels and toppers made to match the rest of the décor added a fun touch.

My galvanized metal 3-tiered stand reminds me of hubcaps stacked together and made a perfect display for showcasing chocolate donut “tires” and cupcakes topped with printable racecar toppers.

Traffic sign inspired suckers filled metal pails.

In addition, delicious sugar cookies were displayed on beds of color coordinating candy and zoomed off the platters and into guests’ mouths.

Our only DIY treat of the night—Hostess HoHo & Oreo-wheel “road speedsters”—made for a fun racecar treat that kids played with before devouring.

All of the excitement created thirsty racers and fans! With another large custom sign, a decorative checkered table skirtand two sets of racing flags, a cute, functional drink station helped meet the thirst demand.

We used plastic oil drip pans from the local dollar store to house themed napkins and plates. White and chocolate milk was served from galvanized metal drink dispensers.

This self-service fueling station was fully stocked with awesome racing cups and adorable paper straws,making refills a breeze.

Plenty of custom wrapped water bottles were on hand for those who preferred to hydrate with water.

To recognize Pinewood Derby winners and all the participants for their hard work, we decorated an awards podium. The area was dressed up with more balloons, banners and printable signs.

The Party Teacher created a racecarfabric bunting whichadded the perfect embellishment to the front of our awards table.

We dressed up the top of the table by repeating the look of the stacked DIY oil cans and checkered flags from the dessert table and arranged trophies for each Cub Scout.

Each Scout received a trophy and a gable box (Hoopla Events) customized with a themed label and tag and filled with fun goodies and prizes, including a custom wrapped chocolate bar.This was such a fun way to recognize each scout’s efforts and thank him for “racing on over”.

We are so grateful to the incredible businesses and volunteers who helped us rev up for a supercharged night of fun,especially Rochelle Pettingill, who captured the excitement of the night on her camera.

The boys and their families are already counting down the months until next year’s racecar building and accompanying rematch on the Pinewood Derby track!

In need of great sources for planning a vintage racecar party? Bypass the scenic route and get right on track with these party supplies:

(Amazon Affiliate Links)

• Vintage Car decals
• Wood Gas Pump
• Racecar Party Bundle
• Checkered Tablecloth
• Ecologie Tray
• “Welcome Race Fans” Giant Hanging Party Banner
• Black and White CheckParty Favor Box
• Red Cutlery Set
• Washi Decorative Tape
• Racetrack Runner
• Checkered Flag Picks
• Checkered Pennant Banner
• Plastic Racing Flags

Be sure to check out more boy’s race car themed party ideas here.

• Dessert Table for a Vintage Race Car Birthday Party
• Vintage Racing Party
• Cool Customers: Vintage Race Car Party

Plus, you wont want to miss 39 Boy’s Race Car Birthday Parties…