The flotilla of paddling witches headed west against a stiff breeze past the Bonnie Gool dock, the Adorni Center and the Woodley Island Marina before their wind-assisted return to the Samoa Bridge boat ramp.
Himango, who lives on the Samoa Peninsula, was pleased with the number of paddlers this year. Four years ago, her local-event poster for the nation-wide Paddle event invited participants to "Take to the streets and the water. Let's demonstrate our strength and solidarity in a fun, beautiful way." Mission accomplished again in 2023, based on the turnout and the smiles on the participants’ faces. See the slideshow below for highlights of the day.
Attendees could sample cannabis for free or at bargain prices at many vendors, unlike Cannifest here in 2017, when a medical card was needed to partake. The breezes off Humboldt Bay reduced the chances of contact highs at the open-air event, and the few beer venders and Seed Swap Circus areas were fenced off from the cannabis-consumption area.
In addition to the music, the event featured a mix of on-site events and activities, including the Cannifest Bowl Headstash Championship, the Cannabis Marketplace and Lounge, the Makers Market, an Immaculate Seed Swap Circus tent, the Humboldt Grow Games (though no participants showed up on Saturday), the popular Ganja Games, lots of local food vendors and an educators speaker schedule at the amphitheater. Headstash Championship judges worked their way through assigned Top Flower samples from 20-plus competitors.
An all-ages group showed up by afternoon race time to compete for cash and prizes in Ladies Hat Day with some unusual creativity in their head coverings and stylish-to-outrageous fashions. Event organizer Cindy Olsen offered $1,500 for the grand prize winner of the People’s Choice Award, $500 to the runner-up, and $150 cash to first-place winners in Best Racing Theme, Most Glamorous, Best Couple or Group, Funniest or Most Outrageous, and Best Youth Up to 12 Years Old.
Carolyn Polasek, of Ferndale, returned to successfully defend her first-place win in Most Glamorous with a huge stylish hat and full-length white dress with black trim. She then won the back-to-back People’s Choice Award as well. The “Talk Derby to Me” group won the Most Outrageous category. (See photo captions for other category winners.)
Meanwhile, elsewhere at the fair, attendees could stop by to watch cute rescue dogs and pot-bellied pigs racing at Cook’s Racing Pigs racetrack venue, challenge one’s stomach after eating fair food on the carnival rides or watch the Dairy Heifer Auction, the Jim Gupton Veggie Auction and the small- and large-animal round robin events. Some drama followed not long after the Dairy Heifer Auction as its very pregnant Supreme Grand Champion Holstein gave birth to a calf in front of a large crowd back in its stall at the dairy barn.
And by the way, if you stopped by the Flower House, you could see a "Scary Fieri" blue ribbon-winning scarecrow by Lori Sue Gregg of Carlotta in the plants/garden/flower exhibit hall. The real Fieri was also present during fair week.