Handcar Regatta

Print

• Santa Rosa’s Handcar Regatta on a Roll ~
  Sept 27, 2009
  by Nathan Halverson via Press Democrat
  A year ago, the Handcar Regatta sprouted out of the desolate train yard west of Santa Rosa’s Railroad Square like a timid flower showcasing its pedal-powered art for the first time. On Sunday, the second annual event appeared to truly blossom and set its roots, emerging as a potential keystone of next-generation art festivals… More »
• Whimsy Required at Santa Rosa’s Handcar Regatta ~
  Sept 25, 2009
  by Mary Callahan via Press Democrat
  A lucky few around the county already may have glimpsed some of the odd and amazing metal contraptions headed for center stage Sunday in Santa Rosa’s Railroad Square. More »
• Was that the city’s best street fest ever? ~
  Sept 30, 2008
  by Chris Smith via Press Democrat
  You heard the same jubilant remarks I did at Sunday’s turn-of-the-century dress-up party, Jules Verne-like railroad handcar races and celebration of creative impulses at Santa Rosa’s Railroad Square. What a huge, wonderful, inclusive crowd. So much… More »
• Handcar Regatta ~
  Sept 29, 2008
  by Nathan Halverson via Press Democrat
  Walking through Santa Rosa’s Railroad Square on Sunday was like walking through a time warp. Victorian-age harlots mingled with mad inventors, while Vikings bellowed and a group of toga-wearing Romans clustered together. The fantastic landscape… More »
• A return to the past, on rails ~
  Sept 29, 2008
  by Nathan Halverson via Press Democrat
  Thousands crowd Railroad Square for costume event featuring human-powered railcars resembling hamster wheels, Viking ships. Walking through Santa Rosa’s Railroad Square on Sunday was like walking through a time warp. Victorian-age harlots mingled with mad inventors, while Vikings bellowed and a group of toga-wearing Romans clustered together… More »
• A decidedly different event rolls into town Sunday ~
  Sept 26, 2008
  by Mary Callahan via Press Democrat
  Rolling contraptions, pedal-powered beasts, gears, levers and large mustaches will take center stage in downtown Santa Rosa on Sunday for a new kind of arts festival… More »
• Everything Old Is New Again ~
  Sept 24, 2008
  by Gretchen Giles via Bohemian North Bay
  Santa Rosa’s Handcar Regatta celebrates a future that never happened… More »
• SoCo festivals are popping up like wildflowers ~
  Sept 21, 2008
  by Chris Smith via Press Democrat
  THE HANDCAR REGATTA has the feel of an imaginative, whimsical, historical Railroad Square event that could very well take hold and become a huge draw for the city’s old-town district. The centerpiece of the inaugural Regatta, which happens next Sunday all around the depot, is what looks to be a hysterical competition among people-powered contraptions along a stretch of the Square’s rails… More »

Blogs

• The Great Handcar Regatta of 2009 ~
  Oct 15, 2009
  by Neil Girling via Coilhouse
  September 27th saw the second installment of the Great Handcar Regatta, an afternoon of nonsensical anachronism, whimsy and ingenuity in Santa Rosa, CA. Though temperatures burned hot in the triple-digits, many thousands of spectators and participants flooded the Railroad Square historic park, perusing vendors, sipping refreshments, seeing live music, and — of course — watching the races… More »
• Hometown Hit- Handcar Regatta’s Whimsy, Creativity, and Fun a Winner with Families ~
  Sept 2009
  via Sono-Ma Blog
  At 102 degrees, Sunday’s “Great Handcar Regatta” was a scorcher. Still, according to one Handcar Regatta attendee the event’s “atmosphere of creativity, whimsy, and fun was so UNUSAL” she could forget the heat! More »
• The Handcar Regatta: Hell Yeah, Brother ~
  Sept 29, 2008
  by Gabe via Bohemian BoHoBlog
  The bottom line is that I didn’t run into anyone at yesterday’s Handcar Regatta who was lukewarm about the absolutely awesome craziness going on all around them. No one said, “Oh, yeah, this is OK.” No one said, “I guess this is all right.” No, everyone I talked to pretty much gushed gleefully that the Handcar Regatta is the most amazingly cool thing that Santa Rosa has seen in years and years… More »
• Handcar Regatta ~
  Sept 29, 2008
  via BiteClub Blog via Press Democrat
  If you missed the first annual Handcar Regatta, I’m sorry to say that you missed one of Santa Rosa’s coolest events…well…ever. Though the concept was a little hard to grasp for the uninitiated, if you’ve ever been to Burning Man you’ll get it. Steam punkers, railway antiquity, costumes, stilt walkers, fantastic inventions, music, food and general merriment… More »

Moving Pictures (a.k.a. “Video”)

• Handcar Regatta
  Sept 29, 2008
  via Press Democrat
• 60 Second Weekend: Handcar Regatta
  Sept 25, 2008
  by John Beck via Press Democrat

Testimonials

• Steampunk Salutations ~
  Oct 08, 2008
  via Bohemian North Bay, Letters to the Editor
  Bravi to Ty Jones and Spring Maxfield for creating such a fabulous event, the Handcar Regatta, on Sunday, Sept. 28, in Depot Park. What a hoot!

  It’s the first time in my 15 years here in Santa Rosa that I’ve experienced a public celebration this original, accessible and appealing to a cross-section of Santa Rosans. We could use more of the unpolished, spontaneous and participatory aesthetic of the Regatta. The blend of art and craft, history and science, fantasy, street theater and Victorian kitsch is a tangy antidote for the plethora of expensive, overscripted wine country public events.

  And, in light of peak oil and climate change, what a playful way to insinuate the necessity of reviving rail travel, cycling and post- (and pre -) petroleum technology and DIY craft into mainstream culture and consciousness.

  I hope the Regatta returns next year.
  Janet Barocco

• Dear Handcar Regatta Artists/Visionaries/Organizers: Before this week is out we had to write to express our deepest gratitude and appreciation to you for creating THE best event we have attended in the 27 years we have lived in Sonoma County. Since Sunday we have talked of nothing else but the Regatta to our friends, family and colleagues, and can only marvel at the herculean effort that brought this event into being. What a beautiful and inspiring gift it was to our community–raising awareness, lifting spirits, and giving hope for a better future. You people get it and this event sets the standard for every Sonoma County “arts event” to come. Congratulations and thank you! Please keep us informed of next year’s plans and if we can be of assistance.
  Francy Vidal & Edmond Badoux
  chaskinakuy.com
• I’ll never miss the Scottish Games again! The Handcar Regatta was beyond amazing in its atmosphere, offerings, creativity and visuals. A feast to the senses. Can’t wait for next year. Can this event get even better? This is the boost that the area needed and you have delivered beyond our wildest dreams. Thank you from the bottom of our furry little hearts.
  Bunz, Luzan and Jo
• Thank you to all who made the festival possible. I’m a 6 time Burner who hasn’t been able to get to the playa these last 2 years. Thank you for a taste of playa spirit right here in Santa Rosa. I will be an eager volunteer for next year’s events and future arts related events.
  Arlene
• You embodied the [Dictionary.com] word of the day: Panache.
  Else Olava
  olava.org

Send Us Your Handcar Regatta Sentiments

cforms contact form by delicious:days