Long-running Grange tradition returns Sept. 19 with racing, a build-your-own workshop and free play at Dry Creek Ranch House
One of Rio Linda’s more unusual — and certainly more entertaining — community traditions is getting a bigger stage this year.
The Rio Linda Grange #403 Zucchini Races will return Saturday, Sept. 19, as part of the 2026 Rio Linda-Elverta Country Faire, bringing the community’s vegetable-powered race cars to the Dry Creek Ranch House.
After what organizers describe as a hugely successful event last year, the Grange is moving the Zucchini Races into the Country Faire, where organizers expect thousands of people to gather for a day celebrating the community — and, at least for a few hours, determining just how fast a zucchini can travel.
The races will take place from 10 a.m. to noon, with building tables opening at 9 a.m. Participants can bring their own pre-built zucchini racer or build one at the event.
Following the official competition, the track will remain open for free play from noon until 3 p.m.
Best of all, participation is free.
A Rio Linda Tradition Gets Bigger
The Zucchini Races have become a longstanding Rio Linda tradition, combining a little engineering, creativity and friendly competition with a vegetable that normally isn’t known for its performance on the racetrack.
Competitors transform zucchinis into wheeled racers, decorate their creations and send them down the track to see which one can make it to the finish line first.
But speed is only part of the attraction.
The event has developed into an opportunity for families to build something together, experiment with their designs and create some decidedly unusual race cars.
According to the Grange, last year’s event grew so successful that organizers decided to incorporate the races into the Rio Linda-Elverta Country Faire for 2026.
The Grange says it expects more than 5,000 people at this year’s Country Faire, with the larger event celebrating zucchini through racing, food and art.
The organization is also hoping the races will once again attract regional media attention after previously being featured by Good Day Sacramento.
You Don’t Need to Bring a Racer
Families interested in participating don’t necessarily need to arrive with a completed zucchini hot rod.
The Grange will open its Build-A-Racer tables at 9 a.m., giving participants an opportunity to construct a racer before competition begins.
The racing portion of the event runs from 10 a.m. until noon.
Once the competition is finished, the track isn’t going away. From noon to 3 p.m., organizers will offer free play, giving racers additional opportunities to make runs down the track without the pressure of formal competition.
The Grange is encouraging participants to get creative with their designs, with the possibility that some of the more memorable creations will be featured on social media.
There is no charge to participate, whether racers arrive ready to compete or are constructed at the event.
2026 Rio Linda Grange Zucchini Races
The Zucchini Races will be held Saturday, Sept. 19, at the Dry Creek Ranch House in Rio Linda as part of the Rio Linda-Elverta Country Faire.
Build-A-Racer tables open at 9 a.m., followed by official racing from 10 a.m. to noon and free play from noon to 3 p.m.
The event is presented by Rio Linda Grange #403, which has been part of the community for generations and continues to organize activities that bring Rio Linda and Elverta families together.
For longtime residents, the Zucchini Races are another piece of the community’s agricultural heritage — albeit one in which the produce gets wheels.
For families who have never experienced them, this year’s Country Faire should provide a good introduction.
Bring the kids, bring some creativity and, if you’re building your racer ahead of time, start looking for a zucchini with good aerodynamics.
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