America’s FirstEnergy All-American Soap Box Derby holds its 77th annual World Championship finals at Derby Downs in Akron, Ohio on Saturday, July 26 – and characters from “The Boxtrolls” movie will be joining the fun, even racing down the track in their own custom-built car.
Focus Features, which releases LAIKA’s family event movie “The Boxtrolls” nationwide on Friday, September 26, is partnering with the International Soap Box Derby and inviting families attending the World Championship to explore the world of The Boxtrolls as an official sponsor of the FirstEnergy All-American Soap Box Derby.
At Derby Downs all day Saturday before the final races, fans will be able to meet the Boxtrolls, view the custom-built car on display, get free Boxtrolls gear, check out exclusive sneak preview clips from the new movie, and enter the Boxtrolls’ fantastical home environment with an immersive photo experience.
Following the day’s interactive activities, quirky, mischievous creatures Fish, Shoe, and Sparky – in a racer powered by gravity and steered by the Boxtrolls themselves – will make their inaugural run on the speedway course in an exhibition race just before the Derby finals, with thousands of fans cheering the group across the finish line.
During the week-long festival, interactive experiences will include Boxtrolls surprises on Monday, July 21 at the “Rock the Rec” event and on Thursday, July 24 at “Topside Show,” at which the stunning custom-built soap box car from the world of the Boxtrolls will be unveiled.