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Writer  /  Suzanne Huntzinger  . Photography provided

Throw on your pajamas, slippers and robe and grab your pillow and blanket. The Darlington Bed Race kicks off Summer 2016 with Noblesville Main Street’s First Friday event. Presented in partnership by the Boys and Girls Club of Noblesville, the Noblesville Parks and Recreation Department and Noblesville Main Street, the slumber party starts at 7 p.m. Friday night June 3 on the downtown square in Noblesville.

The race benefits the Boys and Girls Club of Noblesville and the Noblesville Parks and Recreation to provide youth summer camp scholarships for those in need to attend their programs.

This is the third year the race has been featured as a main attraction of a Noblesville Main Street First Friday. Chris Owens, Executive Director of Noblesville Main Street, says, “This is such a great example of collaborative efforts and teamwork to benefit the Boys and Girls Club in our historic downtown. I’m pleased to be one small part of a great team creating opportunities for youth in our community. This is one of my favorite events of the summer because it really defines Noblesville with a fun event involving many people in our downtown and raises money for a great cause.”

Abby Rinehart, Unit Director of the Boys and Girls Club of Noblesville, says, “The Bed Race came about through a longstanding partnership between the Boys and Girls Club of Noblesville and the Noblesville Parks and Recreation Department. The two organizations are a natural fit, and we had teamed up on multiple events prior to the Bed Race. Always wanting to go above the bar from the last event, both groups wanted to try something fun, a little off the wall and most importantly family-friendly.”

The event was a perfect fit for a Noblesville Main Street First Friday because the focus of NMS is to promote a “hipstoric” and vibrant downtown area through special events and programs. Owens explains, “Hipstoric is all about honoring the past and embracing new trends with people, places and experiences.”

The race will definitely make for a “hipstoric” event. Teams of four or five people race their heavy beds on wheels through a challenging course that includes maneuvering through a tight turn around a cone. Teams are encouraged to design and decorate their beds with a theme and dress in costumes with their chosen theme. Teams have chosen themes as wacky as Kroger dressing up as grocery items like bacon and eggs to a Mario Kart theme and a professional wrestler theme.

Most of the teams are from Noblesville or the surrounding area, Rinehart says. “Since the inaugural race, we’ve had three teams return each year for battle. The first team ever was a group of grads that had been school friends. Their team name changes with their theme for that year. They’ve won three out of the four years. These guys have really showcased the athleticism needed to win the race. Noblesville Young Life has also been with us from the beginning and were our inaugural champs. They always bring a great group of kids and maintain the positivity and sportsmanship.”

Come out and cheer your favorite team on to bedtime supremacy. Mike Hoffmeister, Assistant Director of the Noblesville Parks and Recreation Department, says you may want to get there early as last year’s crowd was around 400 people, and they expect more this year.

You can register to race today by going to bgcni.org or call 317-773-4372. The entry fee for teams with a borrowed bed is $100 and $75 for teams bringing their own bed. Register before May 13 and get the early bird rate of $50.

Prizes include cash, concert tickets and a limo ride, Skyzone passes and much more. There is also a People’s Choice award given to the most creative team and votes on by the crowd. See you at the race!

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