Plans for this year’s White Horse Soapbox Derby are being finalised, with a special STEM theme for 2025.
The exciting free event will see 20 high-spec karts race each other on Saturday 17th May. Brave competitors will hurl themselves down the steep hill near the White Horse as crowds watch on. The route has been described as “one of the gnarliest, most technical and bendy soapbox tracks in the country.”
Live music, a funfair, a climbing wall, a kite festival and helicopter landings will all be on offer alongside the soapbox race.
To manage traffic and protect the site, a park-and-ride system, taxi services, and designated walking routes will be available for attendees.
Ryan Child, Westbury Town Council’s event manager, said, “Having 1,000 or so cars at the White Horse just didn’t feel like the right way to protect, respect, and make the most of our town’s most iconic site.
“So this year, members of the public can use the buses running from Westbury Medical Centre, Westbury United Football Club, and Warminster Road Car Park.
“Anyone who prefers can take a licensed taxi to the event or use one of the walking or cycling routes up to the site.”
Additional parking will be available in several locations across the town, including Penleigh Park, where attendees can walk to bus hubs.
Ryan added, “We hope as many Westbury residents as possible will walk to the bus hubs, which we’ve placed in three locations to serve the whole town.”
The White Horse Soapbox Derby is run by Westbury Town Council in partnership with Landmarc Solutions. The theme for this year’s event is STEM, with a focus on encouraging young people into careers in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Maths.
The event is supported by Arke Ltd, MJ Church, Honeystone Web Design, English Heritage, and TORN, as well as the James Dyson Foundation, which will be offering STEM activities in a bespoke marquee.
Further details on travel services are available at whitehorsesoapbox.co.uk.