By Peter Covino
Entertainment Editor

If you have ever gotten up on the wrong side of the bed, the Kissimmee/Osceola County Chamber of Commerce has a contest made just for you.

The annual Kissimmee Rhythm and Blues Festival – and the first Bed Race associated with the event – will be Saturday, June 4, in downtown Kissimmee.

This is the chamber’s first foray into the bed race circuit (there are several successful bed race competitions held annually) and special events director Jill Stevenson is hopeful area residents are ready to spring into action.

The chamber was looking for a fun event to go along with the annual music festival, she said, and the bed race has all the elements for a good time for both participants and observers.

“Since this is our first one, we are hoping to have at least four or five teams,” she said.

If you have ever seen a bed race, you already know it isn’t so much a matter of winning, but how you play the game. With some competitions, the more outrageous the costumes and the beds are, the better.

The rules for the Kissimmee competition are fairly simple:

Each team consists of five members, four pushers and one rider, and the rider must weigh at least 100 pounds.

Teams should choose a theme and dress up accordingly.

“People can get really creative” for the Kissimmee competition, Stevenson said, and as they have shown time and time again at other bed races across the country, they certainly do get creative.

For example, the first-place winners at the Subway Bedrace held in the snow in Minneapolis/St. Paul were The Favre Dollar Footlongs (in keeping with former Minnesota Vikings quarterback Brett Favre and the Subway sponsor).

Other national bed races, such as The Great Bed Race, held in Louisville, have grown so much in recent years, it had to change venues. Originally called Bedlam in the Streets in 1990, is has actually moved into an arena.

Along with the “normal” best-decorated bed and fastest-bed categories, the Louisville race also features some more unusual creative categories such as “Most Likely to Break Down” and “Worst New Course Record.”

This year’s Kissimmee competition only has two categories, “The Fastest Bed in Kissimmee” and “Most Original Bed,” but the Kissimmee chamber might aspire to call its contest the Kiss-sa-me in Bed Race, which could not only be the race name, but a physical category as well.

Stevenson is hoping corporate and civic type groups will get involved and want to organize a team.

“Hospitals can form teams or the sheriff’s office,” she said.

Some other ground rules for this first competition:

• Bed may be constructed with bike parts such as spoke wheels, but even that is only a suggestion. Creativity is the key.

• Participants will accept responsibility for the safety of rider. The bed must be under control at all times.

• No more than four team members pushing the bed.

• A mattress is not a requirement.

• The bed must be beyond the finish line and completely halted before being released by the pushers.

Beds will be judged before the race and awards will be given after the race.

If past contests held elsewhere are any kind of indicator, beds are judged before the race, because following the race, many of the entrants are ready for the junk heap.

There is an entry fee of $50 per unit and the deadline for entering the race is Friday, May 27, by 5 p.m.

The race is scheduled for noon near the Kissimmee Civic Center.

To enter or for more information call Stevenson at 407-847-4434.

This year’s rhythm and blues festival kicks off at 11 a.m. and continues until 5 p.m. in downtown Kissimmee.

The black history celebration includes music headliners ZAPP. Other musical performers are Zac Harmon and CeCe Teneal.

The event features ethnic food and refreshments, African-American arts and crafts, children’s games and activities and more.

Admission is free but non-perishable food donations will be accepted for H.O.M.E. & Families in Transition.