Local members of Humboldt Kiters revived the Kite Festival in Halvorsen Park along Humboldt Bay this year decades after it had been moved to Oregon in the 1990s. Group members who regularly fly kites at Halvorsen Park and elsewhere locally had quickly organized a team effort among local sponsors, the Ink People Center for the Arts and local artisans who sold kites and other offerings in vendor tents at the event.
Described by organizer Laura Muñoz of Playhouse Arts as an ensemble-created multi-disciplinary, multicultural performance event, Migrations: Walking Together proved a fun and fascinating walk in the parks and other locations of Arcata on Saturday. It began in the Creamery District with a lovely dance performance and shoes — lots of shoes — and ended with a parade entering Carlson Park from Giuntoli Lane. An unexpected change in route due to construction blocking the way added an authentic touch to the “migration” experience for participants. (See the slideshow below for highlights.)
"The procession provided a way for all participants to walk together, sharing the experience of time, space and the different cultures that find themselves in Goudi’ni,” said Muñoz. “Walking together grows our solidarity. Walking is traveling in human time; it connects us to the ground and to those who came before us. As we walk, we create new paths into the future." (Goudi'ni is the Wiyot word for the region now known as Arcata, meaning "over in the woods.")
Over a decade long in planning and construction, the Redwood Sky Walk is owned and operated by the City of Eureka. Its grand opening ceremony featured speeches by the Eureka city manager and representatives from the Sequoia Park Zoo and the Sequoia Park Zoo Foundation, followed by recognition of donors, several community partners, vendors and contractors. The Forest Four, a local string quartet, provided live classical music. (See a slideshow of the ceremony and weekend events below.)