Phoenix Idiotarod returns Saturday. How to join the Valley’s wildest race

A chaotic parade of decorated shopping carts, colorful costumes and questionable decisions returns to Roosevelt Row in downtown Phoenix this weekend.

And no, it has nothing to do with First Friday.

Instead, it’s the Phoenix Idiotarod, the Valley’s long-running and gloriously unserious shopping cart race, rolling back into downtown on Saturday, Feb. 7. Expect an afternoon of wildly dressed teams, absurd rolling contraptions and just enough structure to keep things moving.

The event, put on by the Arizona Cacaphony Society, lives in the space between bar crawl, urban prank and performance art. Teams in full costume push elaborately decorated shopping carts along a loosely defined route, stopping at bars, completing challenges and baffling plenty of unsuspecting onlookers.

Calling it a competition is generous. Speed does not matter. No one is racing to finish first. The only real objective is to commit to the bit and have the most fun doing it.

This year’s Idiotarod begins at noon on Saturday at Margaret T. Hance Park near the Central Avenue overpass. Tara Bingdazzo, the event’s organizer, says roughly 16 teams are already signed up. And yes, there is still time to join them.

What is the Phoenix Idiotarod?

Loosely inspired by Alaska’s Iditarod, the Phoenix Idiotarod swaps sled dogs for shopping carts and endurance racing for chaos.

Teams of five or more rally around a shared theme, often bawdy or pulled straight from pop culture. They modify a shopping cart, then push it through downtown Phoenix, stopping at bars and tackling challenges along the way.

Winning has nothing to do with crossing a finish line first. It’s about creativity and absurdity, not to mention how hard you are willing to lean into the nonsense.

Phoenix’s Idiotarod debuted in 2007. Over the years, the event earned a reputation as one of the Valley’s bawdiest and booziest traditions. It’s equal parts parade, urban prank, costume event and pub crawl.

The looseness is intentional and the rules are minimal, Bingdazzo says. But although the rules are minimal, the chaos is not.

What’s new at this year’s Phoenix Idiotarod?

Quite a bit, starting with the route.

In past years, the Idiotarod tended to lean west toward Grand Avenue. This time around, Bingdazzo says the race skews more heavily toward Roosevelt Row and even dips into the Garfield neighborhood.

“It wasn’t deliberate to start,” Bingdazzo says. “I was looking for newer bars that we’ve never been to before that are locally owned.”

That search reshaped the entire course. Bar stops this year include The Theodore, Sana Sana Cerveceria and Sidewinder. First Avenue drinkery Barcoa, which was visited by Idiotarod teams last year, is the only retread.

“Almost all of the bar stops are new this year,” Bingdazzo says.

The field itself is also leaning hard into the spectacle. Team themes this year draw from “Everything Everywhere All at Once,” Pokémon and “Army of Darkness.” As is the norm, other teams are incorporating plenty of innuendo with names inspired by the Mile-High Club, sloppy seconds, and blue balls.

While the official challenges won’t be quite as bawdy as in years past, that shift is intentional. Bingdazzo says she’s pushed organizers to move away from shock-for-shock’s-sake and toward more inventive chaos.

“I’ve taken a little bit of a departure from some of the blatantly crass shit,” Bingdazzo says, adding that past challenges often leaned on being “blatantly gross” as the hook. “It’s easy to say, ‘I’m going to do something with dildos.’ So they’re more thoughtful and interesting.”

That said, Bingdazzo is quick to note that nothing is actually off-limits for teams.

“It’s still anything goes,” she says. “The rules are there are no rules.”

Other notable changes are in play with this year’s Phoenix Idiotarod. Instead of collecting physical donations, the event is using online donations through Givebutter benefiting Circle the City, a local nonprofit that provides health care and outreach to people experiencing homelessness.

“Every year has been like physical donations,” Bingdazzo says. “But it’s clunky.”

This year’s fundraising goal is at least $5,000, with hopes of eventually pushing past $10,000.

And even if pushing a shopping cart isn’t in the cards, Bingdazzo says the Idiotarod is just as fun to experience from the sidelines.

“The best part of the event, in my opinion, has always been the start,” she says. “It’s the only part of the race where everyone is there at once.” Those who can’t race are encouraged to show up anyway and follow the teams between bar stops and challenges throughout the day.

Still, Bingdazzo admits it’s hard to beat being part of the madness.

“It is,” she says when asked if participating is more fun than watching. “It’s still only $50 per team, which is only 10 bucks per person. That’s ridiculously cheap. Plus, it goes to charity.”

Phoenix Idiotarod 2026: How to enter

Still want in? You aren’t too late to join this year’s Phoenix Idiotarod on Saturday.

Teams can sign up through the Arizona Cacophony Society’s website at azcacophony.org/idiotarod. The entry fee is $50 per team and there is no hard deadline.

Bingdazzo says teams can sign up in person starting at 11 a.m. Saturday when participants gather at Hance Park. Organizers will even continue accepting entries even after the race begins.

“There’s absolutely no cutoff for signups,” Bingdazzo says. “We had a team last year sign up halfway through the event. We will literally take people right up until the event ends.”