It’s that time again to watch vegetables fly. It’s time for zucchinis with wheels. Zucchinis with glitter. Zucchinis with wings, horns, and various action figures attached.

Yes, it’s time once again for the 7th Annual Zucchini Festival and Races. At the Homer Farmers Market it’s all about the vegetables. The biggest vegetables and the fastest vegetables.

Here’s how it works:

You grow your veggies like you normally would. But then you pick out some that look like they might excel. A cabbage that is bigger than the rest, a turnip that is dominating the row. And then maybe you baby them a bit extra, give them a bit of compost tea. Nettle tea is great, so is comfrey tea.

And you leave one zucchini on the vine well past when it would be best to harvest. Take all those little ones and chop them up into your curry or zucchini bread, but leave one to grow and grow.

And just when you think these gigantic veggies are too big to lift, carry them down to the Zucchini Festival. Wheel barrow your veggies up to the Biggest Veggie Contest table and take your gigantic (or even not-so-gigantic) zucchini over to the race headquarters and start prepping.

Zucchini Racer Construction will be from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Then the ceremony crowning this year’s Zucchini Queen and the following parade will give everyone with a zucchini racer a chance to show off their handy work. Then, at 1:30 p.m., the races begin.

Prizes are abundant. Ambulance drivers will be present to dramatically save crash and burned zucchini racers. Afterward Biggest Veggie prizes are announced. And all day there will be zucchini treats and recipes to share.

In case you haven’t guessed, this Market isn’t actually “all about the vegetables.” The vegetables mostly just get mangled. This wonderful little festival is about community, kids, and fun.

A Zucchini Festival like this is only possible in a place that has fun, caring people and a talent for growing our own food. So come on down to Ocean Drive this Saturday between 10am and 3pm to celebrate our community.

Kyra Wagner is the coordinator of Sustainable Homer and the Homer Farmer’s Market’s biggest fan.