CLEARLAKE >> Steampunk chugged into Clearlake Sunday like a slow freight train following a derailment on Saturday.
The city”s first Steampunk event, officially titled “Spirits on the Loch: A Lake County Time Adventure,” on Sunday featured the Spirits Regatta race of steam-powered boats on Clear Lake. It was followed by a festival highlighting local vendors along with displays and demonstrations of human-powered machines in the park.
Lake County Youth Services sponsored the regatta. The festival also featured food and drink, live music, Egyptian belly dancers and a children”s activity area.
The two-day weekend festival was cut to just Sunday, as Saturday”s activities were cancelled due to rain and wind. The bad weather may have contributed to a sparse turnout Sunday in Austin Park.
What exactly is Steampunk?
“It”s a race, sport, hobby, art form and behavioral disorder all in one,” said participant Elliot Naess of Clearlake. To help clarify, he added, “It”s kinetic sculpture racing.”
Naess defined kinetic sculpture racing as, “Homemade artistic vehicles that move by human power and go over land and water.”
Still not clear? Don”t feel bad. Steampunk is difficult to explain because it is different things to different people — a science fiction subculture and excuse to tinker, if you will.
Steampunk typically is a fantasy world that features steam-powered machinery and is usually set in the 1800s. Participants often wear costumes from the British Victorian era or the American “Wild West.” It is akin to a Renaissance Faire, but a fair in which water and land contraptions take center stage.
Clearlake”s Steampunk featured a boat regatta, a hands-and-feet-on display of mechanical contraptions and an evening masquerade ball.
Sunday afternoon was all about the contraptions, both on the water and in Austin Park.
“There”s not a lot of people here but attendance is not a good way to judge the success of this event,” said Robert Van De Walle of Santa Rosa, who built a green two-seat tricycle for the land portion of “Spirits on the Loch.”
He added, “I think yesterday”s rain kept people away today.”
Madison Bishop, 11, of Clearlake Oaks took in the festival with one of her mom”s friends.
“She thought it would be fun for us to come here,” Bishop said. “She was right. I”m having a lot of fun.”
About a dozen human-powered contraptions were in the park and visitors, mostly children, were able to take the wheeled devices for a spin, often as proud parents and the machine builder looked on.
Kai Hampton, 9 of Clearlake, rode several of the contraptions, including a six-foot-high tricycle pushed by his mother, Stephanie Hampton, followed by their dog, Checkers, running along on a leash. They came upon the event through happenstance.
“We were driving by the park and saw everything going on,” Stephanie Hampton said. “Kai wanted to stop and ride some of these things and so here we are, having fun.”
Checkers barked in agreement.
