Agenda

Please note all times are projected and are subject to change during the event.

Sunday, January 3rd, 2027

12:00 PM - Check In, Inspection, Practice Fields & Pits Open

1:30 PM - Opening Ceremony & Event Meeting

2:30 PM - Qualification Matches and Skills Open

5:30 PM - Sweets Division Dinner Break (Skills will remain open as available)

6:30PM - Sweets Division Qualification Matches resume

6:30 PM - Treats Division Dinner Break (Skills will remain open as available)

7:30PM - Treats Division Qualification Matches resume

9:30 PM - Qualification Matches End and Skills Close

9:40 PM - Practice Fields & Doors Close

Monday, January 4th, 2027

8:00 AM - Doors & Practice Fields Open

8:30 AM - Qualification Matches and Skills Open

11:15 AM - Qualification Matches End and Skills Close

11:30 AM - Alliance Selection

12:00 PM - Lunch Break

1:00 PM - Elimination Matches

3:45 PM - Awards

4:15 PM - Doors Close

Volunteer

Our Mission Statement

The Sugar Rush Signature Event is a unique experience, driven by the guiding principle of being “By Students, For Students.” The most impactful events are created by individuals who have walked the same path and truly understand what it takes to make them exceptional. Sugar Rush was originally envisioned by a group of high school students, and this dream has been realized only through the dedication and hard work of robotics alumni.

Our Volunteer Plan

Our General Volunteer form will be posted approximately 4-6 weeks prior to the event! See the link below. Our goal is to fill as many positions as possible with VEX Robotics Alumni, but anyone is welcome to register. This helps us drive home our mission statement listed above.

If you or someone you know is interested in judging, please reach out to [email protected]. Our goal is to fill the judging panel with individuals who are not directly affiliated with a team attending the event. This allows us to remove any chance of bias in the judging room.

Emergency/Bad Weather Policy

Teams will be notified 24 hours prior to the event if there is a weather concern for the event.

Refund and Payment Policies

If the Event Partner cancels the event: 

No refunds will be made.  

If a Coach/Mentor completes registration for the event then chooses to withdraw or not attend:

Due to the high expense for the event, registration fees are non-refundable. 

The event registration fee must be paid within 2 weeks of registration. Teams that are added to the event from the waitlist are required to pay for the event registration fee within 1 week. Teams registering less than 2 weeks before the registration deadline must pay at the time of registration. Any team that fails to pay for their registration within these guidelines will be moved to the waitlist and the spot will be opened up to other teams.

Date: 3-Jan-2027 - 4-Jan-2027

Travel Info

Please review the hotel website for directions. https://www.hersheylodge.com/contact.php

The closest airport in Harrisburg International Airport https://www.flyhia.com/. It is approximately a 15 min drive to the venue.

Hotel Reservations

In Pennsylvania, students under 18 years of age cannot check into a room by themselves. For rooms reserved exclusively for students, the Hershey Lodge requires a list of all reservations associated with your school or organization. For example, if John Doe (a student) has a reservation under East High School, this reservation must be included on a list with others from East High School.

To facilitate this process, the Hershey Lodge Reservation team has provided the google form below to create reservations. The lodge will group your reservations and send a confirmation within 7-10 days. They will pre-key and pre-package them according to the school or organization. They will also ensure that rooms are blocked near each other.

At check-in, only the adult contacts for each school or organization will be allowed to pick up the packets and distribute the keys to their students. If the designated adult contact is not attending the event, you must notify the Hershey Lodge and provide the correct adult contact information.

Regarding payments, please follow the instructions on the form. The Hershey Lodge Reservation team accepts Credit Card or Check. Pricing is as shown below:

01/02/2027 - $199.00 per room plus 11% taxes = $220.89.
01/03/2027 - $190.00 per room plus 11% taxes = $210.90.
01/04/2027 - $190.00 per room plus 11% taxes = $210.90.

Booking Link: TBA

If you have any questions, need assistance with reservations, or require further help, please contact Hershey Lodge Group Reservation Coordinator, Mackenzie Robertson, at 717-520-5433 or their reservation agents at 855-729-3108, and they will assist you. Note: To recieve the discounted rate there is a 2 night minimum stay required.

Behavior 

Please remember that while VEX and GRSF rules apply to the competition itself, everyone must always follow federal, state, and local laws, as well as the policies of Hershey Lodge. For more information on Hershey Lodge's policies, visit: https://www.hersheyentertainmentandresorts.com/policies-and-guest-expectations.

Webcast

There will be a live stream PER division PER day (4 in total). All ceremonies and final matches will be casted to both pages as able.

We will be live streaming Sugar Rush 2027 on our youtube channel. The specific links will be posted on robotevents closer to the event. We will be having two independent streams (one per division).

Day 1

Sweets Division: TBA

Treats Division: TBA

Day 2

Sweets Division: TBA

Treats Division: TBA

Judging Format

Digital Engineering Notebook Submissions / In Person Team Interviews: Team interviews will be conducted in-person at the event. Engineering notebooks will be submitted digitally for evaluation  via a link found within the "My Account" panel of the team contact on events.vex.com. The notebook submission deadline is Monday, December 21, 2026 at 11:59 PM EST.  

Event Swag

Information to be posted closer to Registration! Come back soon!

Photo Album

Check out the Photo Album from Sugar Rush 2026, along with our Event Video!

Additional Albums can be found here.