Strange Machines on the Move: The Kinetic Grand Championship Is a Humboldt Gem

HUMBOLDT QUIRKY: Pick any day of the calendar to call upon Arcata, Eureka, Ferndale, or the other quaint communities of this neck of Humboldt County and you'll be treated to some effervescent idiosyncrasies, the sorts of sparky sights that fill a person with wonder and joy. It's an especially creative county, in short, with a longtime reputation for attracting, and inspiring, artists. Those artists in turn give back to the area, throughout the year, but over three May days the region will grow especially offbeat, thanks to the Kinetic Grand Championship. Nope, this is not a traditional parade, the site makes abundantly clear, but it is a competition that involves a number of moveable art sculptures, all non-motorized, traveling over 50 miles. That would be difficult to do in a day, of course, so the event, which began in 1969 — an especially counterculture-ish epoch, as epochs go — unfurls over three festive, dramatic, and highly visual days.

MAY 27-29... are the 2023 dates, and the map reveals that the starting point is, as is tradition, beautiful Arcata, should you want to be there to send off the giant roosters/oversized boots/alien spacecraft with a rousing cheer. Day two delivers one of the most eye-catching segments of the splashy — literally — showdown, which is when the sculptures enter the water. Are these amazing pieces seaworthy? They are certainly see-worthy, so do pause to applaud their gumption as they exit the H2O at Wharfinger Boat Ramp in Eureka. The finish line is in Ferndale, meaning Victorian abodes will provide the eye-catching backdrop. The iconoclastic spirit is strong with this multi-decade lark, something that can be seen in the spunkiness of the organizers, the weirdness of the sculptures, and the fact that the "Offishul Rules" detail just what can and cannot be attempted. Happy kinetic-ing to all who join the sometimes muddy, often messy, frequently merry outing.