Port Townsend gets a little “krazy” and “kwirky” in October, beginning with the GREAT Port Townsend Bay Kinetic Sculpture Race, October 3-5 (http://www.ptkineticrace.org/). The theme this year is “A Kinetic Mythos: Goddesses and Gods.” We hope you’ll enjoy the theme, and for the first time ever, it comes complete with its own Kourse Story line that will be portrayed throughout the race.
A kinetic skulpture is a human powered, artistically enhanced vehicle that must go through sand (Kwick Sand), mud (The Dismal Bog), float on water (The Great Bay), and transverse hilly, silly neighborhoods. Some skulptures are engineering marvels while most are a mixture of bicycle parts, styrofoam, duct tape, imagination and prayers. Awards are given to each racer whether they want it or not, but the most highly prized award is the “Mediocrity Award,” the skulpture that finishes in the middle of the pack. Kinetic racers as well as glorious spectators must be kapable of having fun without taking the event too seriously.
Saturday’s festivities start at Low Noon beginning with a parade downtown, followed by a break test, and then the water portion of the race! At 8pm there will be a Koronation Ball where a new Rose Hips Kween will be chosen, an unbelievable display of talent, jokes and recipes will help the crowd choose the winning kontestant! Live music will be played by a live band to keep everyone dancing well into the night.
Sunday the race continues, but first, in front of City Hall, the racers will be required to sing their way into the hearts of the krowd, and perform a sobriety test to prove that the Ball libations did not dull their senses. The racers begin pedaling at Low Noon, Kinetic Kops will issue citations, kontrolling kaos and konfusion at the event, while the glorious judges look on to find their favorites. Bribes given freely may help to keep the judges marking you high and help persuade the kops to ignore felonious indiscretions, and bribing the Kinetic Konsortium is always wise. Racers complete the route around 5pm if they are lucky, and arrive at the awards ceremony muddy, sore, and yet brimming with well earned Glory!
At Key City Public Theatre (http://www.keycitypublictheatre.org/), “Returning the Bones,” opens October 1 and runs through October 26, written and performed by Helen Hayes Award-Winning actress Gin Hammond and directed by Jane Jones. Based on the life of Hammond’s aunt, Dr. Caroline Beatrice Montier (aka “Bebe”), this extraordinary performance transports audiences back to Jim Crow-era Texas where Bebe, after being invited to finish her medical degree in Europe shortly after WWII, has to choose whether to stay in the South to continue risking her life in the fight for Civil Rights in America or to escape to Paris to live the life that she had always dreamed of.
There’s an eerie light shining from the old red Victorian on the hill. Many years ago, on a dark October evening, something bad happened in Port Townsend’s finest pleasure palace. An evening of tantalizing fright you’ll never forget will be at the Haunted Bordello (http://hauntedbordello.com/), October 24 and 25, from 7-10:30pm. This is a guided tour and participants must be 17 years or older (ID may be required) and no, this is not a real bordello. They’re actors.
And for the kiddos, don’t miss the Port Townsend Main Street’s Downtown Trick or Treat, October 31 beginning at 4pm with a parade down Water Street. Our merchants will be offering treats…and, you never know, maybe some tricks too! Water Street is closed to traffic from 3:15-5:30pm for the event. The event is geared for K-6th graders and is coordinated by the Port Townsend Main Street Promotion Committee.
Visit us in October and enjoy everything Port Townsend!