May Fair & Scootathon 2025

 

Event Date: Saturday, May 3, 2025

This is a general schedule and framework for the May Fair & Scootathon. The maypole dance schedule by class will be finalized closer to the event, but in reverence for this celebration of Spring, we encourage everyone to gather to watch every May Pole dance.

8:15am BWS Staff & Volunteers Begin Set up

9:00am Event Start Time for Families

Parents/community members arrive with flowers to contribute as well as their own picnic food, water bottles, kick-scooters (no electronic scooters please) and helmets.

Spread picnic blankets, make flower crowns, purchase coffee & breakfast items from the fundraising table, and prepare to participate in the maypole dances.

10:00-11:30am Maypole Dances 

Every class will have a dance, and all are encouraged to watch each class. All are also welcome to join in the community dance that generally culminates the dances.

11:30am Scootathon Mini-Loop Kick-Off! (Grade 4 & younger)

12:00pm Scootathon Big Loop Kick-Off! (Grade 5 & Up, including adults!)

12:00-2:00pm Festival Activities at the Nethermead

Face painting, music, unstructured games such as bubble making and ball playing, and cheering on the Scootathon riders as they pass by

2:00pm  May Fair & Scootathon Officially Ends

End time for both Main Loop & Mini-Loop (No more safety marshalls) 

Please note that while faculty and staff are in attendance, children will remain in the care and responsibility of their parents/guardians.

 

In addition to fundraising, we need parent volunteers to help run a safe and successful May Fair & Scootathon. Please sign up here to help with the following:

• Safety Marshals 
• Face Painting
• Bake Sale

All Your Scootathon Questions Answered!

Sign Up Here

When is Scootathon? 

This year, Scootathon & May Fair are on May 3rd. This double event is always the first Saturday in May from 9:00-2:30 with May Fair in the morning and Scootathon starting at 12:00 noon.

Where is Scootathon? 

Like May Fair, it is centered at The Nethermead area of Prospect Park. Enter from 16th Street and Prospect Park Southwest. Follow the walking path towards West Drive. Cross West Drive, walk straight, then turn right to follow Center Drive North. The Nethermead will be on your right.

What is Scootathon?

Scootathon has been a quirky and beloved Brooklyn Waldorf tradition since 2009, when it was founded by BWS parents Noel Wiggens & Shoshanna Perry–with a little help from their BWS friends–as a fundraiser for the new little school bringing Waldorf education to Brooklyn! 

It’s a Brooklyn-centric twist on the established model of fundraising runs or walks, where individuals ask for sponsorships for an athletic challenge. From the beginning, Scootathon has also sought to promote environmentally-friendly forms of transportation – mainly kick-scooting. (Back then, you didn’t see the array of eco-friendly vehicles all over NYC that you see today…maybe we changed the world?!)

What Does Scootathon Have to Do with May Fair?

They are both active, all-community outdoor happenings celebrated by BWS in the park on the same day.  May Fair, focused in the morning, is held by Waldorf schools around the world; Scootathon, focused in the afternoon, is found at just one–ours! Once held on different days, they were combined in 2014 due to permit restraints and to alleviate pressure on the school year calendar. 

Do I have to scoot? 

It’s so fun…but no. You can bike or skateboard or run, or sit out the loop and participate in other ways. We also need Safety Marshals, we need face painters, we need people to cheer on the riders, and we hope that EVERYONE will sign up to fundraise, and donate to riders, whether they scoot or not.

Do I have to scoot all the laps if I sign up?

No. We love it if people aim for the classic Scootathon challenge of completing six laps in Prospect Park (a half marathon, 13.5 miles) either that day, or over a period of time you determine. But we understand this can be a haul; giving your BEST EFFORT to make those laps is the goal, no one is tracking this but you.  

Also, you can collaborate in conquering the laps with others. You can even count your child’s mini-loop riding in your calculations. Just figure out your own way, and then tell your story in your fundraiser.

Can I borrow a scooter?

Yes! We have scooters to loan out, if you let us know via a sign-up we’ll provide in the Bulletin.

Do I need to register to Scoot (Bike/Run)?

If you are a grown-up, and you plan to ride/run the loop, please register by clicking “Sign Up” here:

Sign Up for Scootathon

Children do not need to register, they just need to bring their scooters and helmets to the park!

What are the Course Routes? (And where do the kids scoot?) 

"The Big Loop" is 3/4 of the main park drive of Prospect Park, with a section that passes directly past the Nethermead area, allowing for cheering our riders as they pass by doing their laps.

Adults and students 5th grade and above are encouraged to scoot the Big Loop! Skateboarding, biking, and running are also allowed. We salute however you ride the loop! (But, no electronic vehicles please.)

"The Mini Loop" is the smaller paved path that encircles the Nethermead (but is not entirely visible from the Nethermead lawn). This loop is reserved for children and students up to 4th grade, and scooting is the preferred vehicle (bikes are too big).
 

 

How do we fundraise for Scootathon?

This event is a peer-to-peer fundraiser, an opportunity to raise money outside our small community. We hope as many people as possible will sign up to ride, either a scooter or an eco-friendly vehicle of their choice (no electronic vehicles), and then appeal to their family, friends, colleagues and neighbors to sponsor them. Over the last 15 years, Scootathon has raised over half a million dollars for BWS! 

Even if you don’t register/sign-up as a Rider, you can BECOME A FUNDRAISER. That’s two different ways to create your own fundraiser inside the larger umbrella of Scootathon.

If you plan to Ride (participate athletically): 

• Go to our Scootathon page.
• Click the SIGN UP button. 
• Register as an individual first, which will automatically lead you to create your fundraising page. (If you create a fundraising page first, you will end up with two so don’t do that…)
• The platform will ask you if you want to join one of the TEAMs we have set up. You may choose your child’s class for instance.
• Have fun with this, make it your own! This is what you will send out to your supporters.

If you plan to be a FUNDRAISER, but not a rider: 

• Go to our Scootathon page.
• Bypass the Sign Up button and go instead to the drop down menu under DONATE, and choose BECOME A FUNDRAISER. Follow prompts to create your own page, join one of the Teams if you want, and then send it out far and wide!

Do I have to make an individual profile to join a TEAM?

• Yes. Everyone has to make a profile to either Sign Up (to ride) or Become a Fundraiser.

What if I want to make my own TEAM?

• If you want to form a TEAM that is not already there, let us know at Scootathon@brooklynwaldorf.org and we’ll set it up for you in RunSignUp. (We disabled the feature because it was a little confusing and we’re aiming for easy!)

Where do the proceeds from Scootathon go?

Like the Annual Fund, funds raised go towards filling the more than 30% budget gap that tuition revenue does not cover. The biggest expense for the school is faculty salaries. Additionally, more than 20% of overall revenue is currently offered as tuition assistance for families who need it, which is more than 60% of our families.

Two years ago, there was a community service element at Scootathon, why not this year?

Coming out of the pandemic, we tried something different that year, but people found it confusing. Last year (2024), we went back to classic Scootathon.

Are donations to Scootathon tax-deductible?

Yes, they are! The Brooklyn Waldorf School is a non-profit, tax-exempt organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, Tax ID: 80-0329417

Can I take donations by check and have them added to my Scootathon tally online?

Yes! They should be written to Brooklyn Waldorf School, with the memo line indicating they are for your Scootathon fundraising. We will enter them into the system so they show up.

Please note the final schedule is subject to change. 

More questions? Ask us at  scootathon@brooklynwaldorf.org.

 

Order your entire family our one-of-a-kind lavender blue, screen-printed, hand drawn (by a BWS parent artist!) 2025 Scootathon T-shirt before your size sells out! First come, first serve. Original artwork by BWS parent and aunt, Nellie Fleischner; bespoke screen-printing by Brooklyn-based, BWS-parent owned Flying Saucer Press; Bella+Canvas shirts (no sweatshops, eco-friendly, 100% cotton).

Please pre-order your t-shirt(s) by April 16.
Available for pick up at school April 30-May 2, or May 3 in the park.

Order Here

Since 2009, Scootathon has been a major annual fundraiser for the Brooklyn Waldorf School. Funds raised help pay teachers, offer financial aid to the many families who need it, enrich student programs and care for our beautiful historic building. Help us fundraise or donate by visiting our Scootathon fundraising site. Thank you for your support!

To Register (Sign-Up) as a Rider: You, or someone in your family (like your child), will plan to scoot on May 3rd (or use another athletic mode of transportation, as long as it is not electronic). The old-school Scootathon goal for Grades 5 - 8 and adults is to complete six laps on the "Big Loop" in Prospect Park (a half marathon, 13.5 miles) either kick-scooting or your preferred way—but this may not be for everyone, or even most of us—your BEST EFFORT is the goal! You can get creative—combine with a TEAM to split your laps, or count your child's "Mini-Loop" scooting. Just tell your story on your page and send the link far and wide.

• Go to our Scootathon page and click SIGN UP. As part of this registration, you will create your fundraising page. Have fun customizing it! (If you create a fundraising page first under DONOR, you will end up with two so don’t do that…).

The platform will ask you if you want to join a TEAM or make one. You can skip this if you want to. We have asked CLASS REPS to make a TEAM for each class, but they are still working on that. If you see your child's class on the list, feel free to join it. But an individual can only join one team, so choose wisely. If your class team is not yet there, skip this part and join it when it's ready!  

BECOME A FUNDRAISER Without Registering to Ride:
To participate as a fundraiser, but not athletically, bypass the Sign Up button and go instead to the drop down menu under DONATE, then choose BECOME A FUNDRAISER. Follow prompts to create your own page, join one of the Teams if you want, and then send it out far and wide!

Please note that children do not need to sign up or register to take part in the scootathon--they just need to bring a scooter and helmet to the event on May 3rd. For more in-depth information, visit our Scootathon FAQ.

May Fair & Scootathon takes place in the Nethermead area of Prospect Park. 

There are several ways to get there, it can be a little confusing at first, so first-time attendees will want to leave themselves time to navigate the park.

One way to get to the Nethermead:

• Enter from 16th Street and Prospect Park Southwest. Follow the walking path towards West Drive. Cross West Drive, walk straight, then turn right to follow Center Drive North. The Nethermead will be on your right.

 

Google Maps Link to the Nethermead

The “Big Loop” and the “Kid’s Mini-Loop”, illustrated by BWS parent Giuliano Guarneri. 

Google Maps Link to the Nethermead

 

Register to ride and/or fundraise for BWS Scootathon here.

Need more info? Visit the Scootathon FAQ tab, or email scootathon@brooklynwaldorf.org.