Wylie kids will be off to the races as the Wylie Pedal Car Race is coming soon to downtown.

The race will be Sunday, May 1 and is hosted by the Wylie Downtown Merchant Association.

This is the 18^th year for the rain-or-shine event, which raises money for downtown Wylie area improvements, with donations also accepted for Wylie, Sachse and Murphy area Special Olympics.

Jeremy Meier, president of the WDMA, said they have raised a total of nearly $20,000 for area Special Olympics over the years.

Meier said he first became involved in the pedal car race in 2009, shortly after he opened his business, adding that the family-friendly event was part of what drew him to Wylie.

Two categories are held for the pedal car races: one for children ages 2-3 and one for children ages 4-5. Check-in for the 2-3 age group begins at 1 p.m. with race time starting at 2 p.m., and check-in for the second age group is at 2 p.m. with the race time beginning at 3 p.m.

The association will cordon off the street and create a drag strip of about 500 inches. Pedal cars are provided by downtown and local area merchants. Children will pick their cars for the race.

Each category will have a first-, second- and third-place winner.

Meier said he is expecting about 200 children to participate and added that Mayor Matthew Porter will emcee the event and the Wylie Rotary Club will be cooking hot dogs for those in attendance.

Ballard Street Cafe is the title sponsor again this year, as they have been for the past several years. Other sponsors for the Pedal Car Race are the Wylie Downtown Merchants Association and the city of Wylie.

“The race is a way for the merchants association to do something for the community,” Meier said. “We can give back and bring the community together. It’s one of the reasons people live, shop and dine in Wylie.”

Meier said residents are encouraged to register before the event and can do so on the Discover Wylie website at discoverwylie.com, although there will be a limited number of walk-up registrations allowed on the day of the race. The registration cost for the event is $15.