The Vancouver Junkyard War is an annual contest where teams of creative and/or technically inclined people compete to build machines out of junk to accomplish a certain task.
The contest and accompanying rules are traditionally announced at a Saturday pancake breakfast. Teams then have the next week to design their machine and gather junk from approved sources, but may not test or build anything.
Building begins the following Friday, and continues on Saturday. Sunday morning involves a safety inspection, followed by a “brag session” where teams explain their creation to other contestants and to invited spectators. The contest itself is then held on Sunday afternoon, followed by awarding of the coveted Vancouver Junkyard War trophy.