Ready, set, nom: IVCC hosts 20th Annual Edible Car Contest

Food was flying down the track on Wednesday afternoon at the 20th Annual Edible Car Contest at Illinois Valley Community College.

More than 200 participants from Illinois Valley junior high and high schools, the IVCC student body and members of the IVCC community created 78 cars that were judged and raced in the gymnasium at the main Oglesby campus.

“This event began back in 2006 as a creative way to celebrate National Engineering Week,” IVCC Dean of Workforce Development Rebecca Zamora said. “What started as a fun idea has become a community tradition that we are proud to continue.”

Participants filled the IVCC gymnasium bleachers for an afternoon of entertaining racing, pizza and trivia.

“We just want the students to find some joy in design and creativity, and maybe find something that sparks their scientific interest,” IVCC Adult Education Specialist Kara Eisert said. “We were just looking to entertain the students and make sure they have a good time so that it continues to be an event that they want to do every year.”

Every item used by the participants to make the car must be edible. However this requirement led to a few participants who chose to eat their engineering product by the end of the contest.

Students from nine different schools participated in the contest, highlighting National Engineering Week.

“The projects you complete in the classrooms every day are building real workforce skills,” Zamora said, addressing the assembled students. “The future needs thinkers like you. Your future does not begin when you step onto a college campus, it begins in the classrooms you are sitting in right now.”

There were 11 categories that participants could be rewarded for that the judges were evaluating.

Best Middle School Car went to JFK School Bus of John F. Kennedy Elementary School, with Monster Mash of Putnam County Junior High taking second place.

Best High School Car went to Spongemobile, and The Whale took second place. Both cars were from La Salle-Peru High School.

Best IVCC Student Car went to Chica’s Cupcake, and The Sandwich took second place.

Best IVCC Community Car went to Big Wheel Dream, and Donut Drifter took second place.

In the creativity category, Spongemobile won, and Unidentified Flying Orange took second place. Both cars were from La Salle-Peru High School.

In the detail category, Monster Mash of Putnam County Junior High won, and La Carcacha of DePue High School took second place.

In the most nutritious category, The Tomator Nator of DePue High School won, and The Viper of Paw Paw Junior/Senior High School took second place.

In the sweetest car category, Monster Mash of Putnam County Junior High won, and Sugar Rush of DePue High School took second place.

In the judge’s call category, Bubby of Waltham Elementary School won, and Big Wheel Dream of La Salle-Peru High School took second place.

In the design category, Unidentified Flying Orange of La Salle-Peru High School won, and Candy Land of JFK Elementary School took second place.

The award for fastest car went to Marshmallow Madness of Putnam County Junior High, making it down the track in just .88 seconds.

“We were so excited to have the students. We loved seeing the designs and all of the hard work that went into the edible cars,” Zamora said. “We hope the students leave inspired to keep learning, dreaming and creating. We encourage them to keep asking questions, trying new things and collaborating.”

IVCC’s Making Industry Meaningful In College project and the Workforce Development division sponsored the contest.

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Putnam County students (from left) Anahi Avila, EliMae Glynn, Dayzlyn Cioni, Brooke McCart, Luis Ramirez and Makenna Goulding react while watching their car race down the ramp during the Edible Car Contest on Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2026 at Illinois Valley Community College in Oglesby. (Scott Anderson)