The Great Handcar Regatta of 2009

 For those of us who were unable to attend this fantastic event, stay and savor the reports from:

The 2nd Annual 2009 Great West End Railroad Square Handcar Regatta
and Exposition of Mechanical and Artistic Wonders!

The extravagant attractions available to visitors included shows (more steampunkish bands than you could shake a gear at), vendors (food, clothing, stuffed monkeys), sideshows/curiosities (marionettes with fangs, dancing poodles), and of course the rail race itself.

Here is a video of some of the days' festive events.  Video 

The event creators said that this year's attendance tripled the first years', including thousands of spectators and 22 race entries. One main attraction at the regatta was the a Victorian home on wheels, the Neverwas Haul.

Her vital statistics:    Neverwas Haul, a self-propelled 3-story Victorian House, made from 75% recycled equipment and materials, returns with new interiors, operating system, and collections from its travels around the world (i.e., oddities of the Jules Verne era including a Camera Obscura, described below). The Haul measures 24 feet long by 24 feet high and 12 feet wide and is built on the base of a 5th wheel travel trailer.   The name also indicates the team who created the house and several other Steampunk vehicles, as well as a merchant on Etsy.

Interested in participating in this year's event?  Downtown Santa Rosa says that registration is open for the 2010 Handcar Regatta on the Facebook page for the Regatta.

  ~ DS