When the leaves start turning russet and gold, you feel a chill in the air, and it’s dark by 7 pm, Port Townsend starts to get a little “krazy” and “kwirky.” The month of October starts off with something kompletely different: the 34th Great Port Townsend Bay Kinetic SkulPTure Race, October 1-2. The theme this year is “In Search of the Holy Gear.” There will be thrills, there will be chills, songs, and, of course, there will be Glory!
Photo by Steve Mullensky
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. Are you ready?!
Photo by Steve Mullensky
Saturday’s festivities start at Low Noon beginning with the Glorious Parade downtown, full of Glorious Spectators, followed by safety tests, and then the Water Kourse. At 8 pm 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 and shake it down.
Sunday the race continues, but first, in front of City Hall, the racers will be required to kroon 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 khaos 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 5 pm if they are lucky, and arrive at the awards ceremony muddy, sore, and yet brimming with well-earned Glory! For more info and to buy tickets, go to www.ptkineticrace.org.
At Key City Public Theatre, 4,000 Miles opens October 6 and runs through October 23. Generational gaps create tension in relationships in the theatre’s October production of Amy Herzog’s Pulitzer finalist drama, 4,000 Miles. Leo has ridden his bike across the country, to arrive on the doorstep of his grandmother Vera, only for Vera to be unable to hear the doorbell. Likewise, when Vera finally makes it to the door, Leo cannot understand her, because she is not wearing her dentures. These failures of communication are the perfect introduction to the relationships that Herzog explores in her play. 4,000 Miles looks at people who are flawed, but so desperate to be vulnerable in the most painfully human ways possible. The struggles of coming to terms with their losses, and each other, is treated with a deft touch that lends levity, and lets their humanity shine through, in all the right moments. For more info and to buy tickets, go towww.keycitypublictheatre.org.
Photo by Deja View Photography
Connect the Dots at Girls’ Night Out, Thursday, October 6 from 11 am to 8 pm. Wear Polka Dots!” Start the fun with an early morning FREE Fun Run/Walk called “The Polka Dot Tiara Trot.” Meet at the Cotton Building (Water/Madison Streets) to register for this 1.47 mile walk/jog/run which starts at 7 am. Jump start your day! The first 100 participants get a free fun run t-shirt from Jefferson Healthcare. Treats after the fun run are provided by Arran Stark of Jefferson Healthcare.
New this year, the PT eRider will circulate customers downtown from 5-8 pm. Ride in style for free! Dozens of Girls’ Night Out participating businesses will offer special events, in-store discount promotions and refreshments. Proceeds benefit Jefferson Healthcare Foundation to help provide breast and cervical cancer screenings, care and treatment for low income Jefferson County residents and the Port Townsend Main Street Program. For more info, go to www.ptmainstreet.org.
On Friday, October 28 at 7 pm, MadronaMindBody, located at Fort Worden, will be featuring Jami Sieber in concert with Nancy Rumbel. Electric cellist, vocalist & composer, Jami Sieber together with Grammy Award-winning woodwind player and multi-instrumentalist, Nancy Rumbel, join in melodic richness to entrance the audience with their music.
Jami Sieber is a celebrated pioneer of her instrument with an inspiring and fearless style of performance that has been recognized internationally. Sieber creates her own kind of world music, boasting immediate emotional impact and conveying a visionary presence that goes beyond the gorgeous melodies and tribal rhythms. Reaching inside the soul with compositions that are lush and powerfully evocative, her music transforms from the deepest stillness to moving melodies and rhythms that light the heart on fire. For more info and to buy tickets, go to www.madronamindbody.com.
And for the kiddos, don’t miss the Port Townsend Main Street’s 22nd Annual Downtown Trick or Treat, October 31 beginning at 4 pm with a parade down Water Street. Our merchants will be offering treats for the kids…and, you never know, maybe some tricks too!
Visit us in October and enjoy everything Port Townsend!