Whakatāne’s Trolley Derby is back for another year.

The derby has been co-run by the Rotary Club, Blue Light, and Menzshed for the past 10 years, with the 2026 event scheduled for this Saturday at Waiewe Street Reserve.

Practice starts at 9.30am with racing beginning at 10am.

The trolley derby is a free event open to children, teenagers and adults, who are all encouraged to make their own trolleys and show off their creativity.

The Rotary Club has 15 basic carts that young participants can borrow; 10 of these carts were made by the Menzshed members, and the rest by the Rotary Club. Adults and teenagers must bring their own cart creations to the derby.

The race is split up into four age groups: 5-7-year-olds, 8-10-year-olds, 11-14-year-olds and 15 and up.

Competitors can sign up for their category on the day. All competitors must wear helmets and covered shoes.

Once again, racers are competing for the highly coveted Trolley Derby trophy that Toby Boswell took home last year. There are also spot prizes and lucky dips up for grabs.

There will be ice-reams for sale, a coffee cart and a classic Kiwi sausage sizzle put on by the Menzshed. Please bring cash, there will be no Eftpos.