By DCist contributor Elena Goukassian

Former Boy Scouts no doubt remember pinewood derby day, when you could show off the little car you carved from a wood block and painted your favorite colors and race it against all the other kids’ little wooden cars. This Saturday, relive your childhood at the Milk Cult Wonderbox’s Adult Pinewood Derby.

“I was a pinewood derby loser,” says Ed Cornell, former Boy Scout and co-founder of D.C.’s Milk Cult ice cream company. “This will be a chance to redeem myself.”

The Adult Pinewood Derby is the brainchild of Crazy Train Studios, a new for-profit venture founded by members of the DIY space Hole in the Sky in Northeast—Mike O’Brien, Justin Zamieroski, and Rachel Wallach. While Hole in the Sky continues to host free underground arts events, O’Brien says they started Crazy Train in order to create something more permanent, from both a legal and economic perspective.

“As we get older, we’re thinking more about longevity,” O’Brien says, adding that while Hole in the Sky is great, it’s not really sustainable. He wants to create something where artists will actually get paid for their contributions to the community.

O’Brien sees Crazy Train as an artistic vehicle for “perpetuating a low-brow, grungy lifestyle.” Crazy Train’s past events have included bizarre things like motorcycle jumps over a huge pile of ramen and a moped-powered blender making a giant smoothie. “It’s all about pairing up the right people to create discreet art shows,” O’Brien says.

Back at the Milk Cult Wonderbox—a warehouse space behind the 52 O Street Studios that is transitioning into an ice cream factory/shop/art space—O’Brien and his team are installing a giant ramp for the pinewood derby, one that will start all the way up at the warehouse ceiling, and possibly even have pyrotechnics attached.

The derby will consist of two parts: a car show and a race. There will be prizes for the best design as well as the fastest car. (O’Brien says they bought a bunch of hilarious thrift store trophies for the occasion.) But, as this will be an adult derby, families should be forewarned: if you bring your kids, you may be exposing them to cars that look like little penises.

Admission to the festivities is free, but if you want to race your own pinewood car, there’s a $10 entry fee. Because this is part of a for-profit venture, there will also be cars in the race sponsored by local—and not so local—businesses, with the organizers pitting them against each other in a special “business heat.” It will be kind of like NASCAR, O’Brien notes.

In true hipster fashion, PBR is one of the main event sponsors.

O’Brien expects about 20 or 30 cars to participate, and there will be food and beer available for participants and attendees. “It’ll be ridiculous fun for the adult community,” O’Brien says. “There might even be some unsanctioned betting…we can’t always control people,” he adds with a smirk.

The Adult Pinewood Derby takes place Saturday, October 8 at the Milk Cult Wonderbox (79 Hanover Place NW). Admission is free, car registration is $10