Handcar Regatta in Santa Rosa?

[Elliot]

Regarding the now defunct Hand Car Regatta in Santa Rosa, CA....

It astonishes me that the Handcar Regatta just disappeared. What I observed when I had a static display there in 2010 was a spectacularly successful event, with several bands, countless vendors, and all manner of fun in addition to the actual handcar races. How could the community allow all this to simply evaporate?

I understand that the railroad is putting the tracks back in service for real trains. No problem. Races can perfectly well be held on any surface. A steering mechanism would be child’s play to add to those racing vehicles that don’t already have it.

I understand that – by hints I see on the interweb – the two principals of the event suffered a personal falling out. No problem. The event was surely much bigger than any two people!

So why are efforts to resurrect the event failing?
Kinetic Frenetic Opera of Mechanical Mayhem – web site long dormant.
Draisine Dash planning meeting tomorrow – cancelled.

Was the event NOT of general benefit to the Santa Rosa community???

I guess I'm trying to understand How The World Works -- and in this case fails to work. Thoughts?

[theCryptofishist]

I'm going to put it on the principals. (Is that the right homonym?) Somebody has to spearhead it, get the permits, publicity, be the phone number, faxing, phoning, emailing... It's work year round, and probably pretty intense the 6 to 10 weeks just before. If there was division of labor...

[Elliot]

Good point. Could be. I'm part of a volunteer group that puts on the 4th of July festivities in my little town, so I know about that.
But at the size of the Santa Rosa Handcar Regatta, with all those commercial vendors, would there not be money for a professional organizer? There are "event production" firms that handle such things full time. And in most cities a Chamber of Commerce. Or a Tourism Bureau.

[theCryptofishist]

So, you think the Chamber should have noticed it was a money making thing and hired someone is what you're saying?

Okay, it sounds quirky enough that a group as stereotypically culturally cautious as a Chamber of Commerce might not feel warm enough to the form, money or not. This is a wild guess, it just seems that this was something that needed to be a pet project, even to get the Chamber's attention.

[Elliot]

I'm sure it was a pet project, but after four years it was (it appears to me) such a roaring success that it could not possibly have failed to "fill the radar screen" of groups like the Chamber.
So I'm theorizing.... Good old Bob The Volunteer loses the actual railroad track for his event and throws in towel, because reconfiguring the event to function without the actual railroad track would take too much time and would interfere with his earning a living. Still theorizing.... If I were on the Chamber or Visitor Bureau or such in that situation, I would ring one bloody big alarm bell.

Events like the Handcar Regatta put communities "on the map". Often when I tell people about Kinetic Sculpture Racing, which takes place 200 miles further north, they say "Oh, you mean it's similar to the Handcar Regatta in Santa Rosa?" To my mind, this is pure gold to the long term prosperity of a community. How the various movers and shakers of Santa Rosa can fail to pick up that ball when Good Old Bob burns out, is beyond me.

[theCryptofishist]

I think what you're actually after is the inner workings of the human heart and there will never be a satisfactory explanation.
(Translation: I'm out of ideas.)

[trilobyte]

Try and get in touch with one of the two people. They might be able to fill you in - maybe it was a single person's pet project, maybe there were politics, maybe it was some silly 'across the board' decision that slashed a number of events… who knows.

[Elliot]

Well, well, well.... Look what just landed in my in-box! In Willits, not terribly far north of Santa Rosa. Steam engines, hand cars.... One of the organizers is from the Regatta. Weekend after BM.

http://www.kineticcarnivale.com/

[wunderkammer]

The handcar races will be returning to Santa Rosa in August of 2013. Same location. Part of the original group. Part new ... But then same darn fun. Will keep this board posted.

[Elliot]

That's WONDERMUSS news!

To tie up a loose end: The Willits event did include hand car races, on the Skunk Train switching yard tracks a couple of blocks from the festival itself. There were only a handful of local entries, and not many spectators, but for something started from scratch it could be considered a perfectly good beginning. Regrettably, since it was only a few days after BM, I did not have an entry, but I showed off one of my pedal-vehicles as a static display.


Now.... I will definitely have an entry for the reborn Regatta in Santa Rosa. Several pedal vehicles on hand, and I even have a set of real railroad "speeder" wheels.

WHOOHOO!

[Elliot]

All right.... I have asked organizer Ty Jones on his Facebook page and he says it will be August 25. Ooops. But I reckon I can send my "hand car" to Santa Rosa with someone else. Great news that the event is coming back, even if I cannot be there personally.

[Elliot]

Update:

Looks like it is official; Ty Jones is bringing Hand Car Races and other Edwardian festivities back to Santa Rosa – under the name Wunderkammer Festival instead of “Hand Car Regatta”. The date is indeed Saturday August 25, which means some of us will be able to do this before leaving for the Playa.

The web site is perhaps not complete yet, but they have a good start on it:
http://www.wunderkammerfestival.com/

They are also on FaceBook:
http://www.facebook.com/wunderkammerfestival


The other organizer of the former “Regatta” is again holding Hand Car Races in Willits on the weekend after Burning Man, in conjunction with the established festival there.

Life is good!

[penrose]

That date makes no sense. Sunday Aug 25 is the day so many natural participants will be on the road to Burning Man or already on playa. I certainly won't be going to Santa Rosa anywhere near that date. Too bad.

[Elliot]

Yes, it's a bummer. You'd think Ty would have avoided BM. But maybe there simply was no other date available -- I'm sure there are other activities around Railroad Square year round.

I have speeder wheels and a suitable vehicle to put them on. I'm hoping I can loan it to somebody to take to Santa Rosa.