The Humboldt County Fair is making history this year by replacing its traditional opening day horse racing with kinetic sculpture racing on Friday, August 16. The innovative event, called the Kinetic Obstacle Exhibition Derby (KO-ED), will serve as the main attraction in an afternoon celebrating art, engineering, pageantry, and creative absurdity.
The festivities will begin at 1:30 p.m. with the Racers Pageantry Parade, followed by the Rutabaga Royalty Hobby Kinetic Creature Race. At 3:30 p.m., the iconic Ladies Hat Day Competition will take center stage. The highlight of the day, the KO-ED, will commence at 5:00 p.m., featuring kinetic racers navigating a challenging obstacle course filled with mud, dirt, hay bales, and the notorious Chaos Zone, which promises water balloons, rodeo clowns, and various forms of kinetic mayhem. All events are included with fair admission at no additional cost.
This significant change comes after the California Horse Racing Board (CHRB) voted to deny the Humboldt County Fair Association's (HCFA) request for sanctioned horse racing. In response to this setback, HCFA held community meetings to gather alternative ideas from local residents, which ultimately led to the suggestion of kinetic sculpture racing. The fair association then reached out to Kinetic Universe (KU), the organizers of the renowned Kinetic Grand Championship, and invited them to fill the track with their unique brand of entertainment.
"We're thrilled to partner with the fair," said Jennifer Thelander, KU Outreach Director. "They offered to build us a custom racecourse based on our wild ideas. Spectators will see racers challenged in ways they aren't at the Kinetic Grand Championship—we can't wait for everyone to see what we've planned." The collaboration promises to bring a fresh and exciting dimension to the traditional fair experience.
Kinetic sculpture racing has deep roots in Northern California, having been born in Ferndale in 1969 when metal sculptor Hobart Brown transformed his son's tricycle into a five-wheeled machine called the Pentacycle. Fellow artist Jack Mays challenged Brown to a race down Main Street, sparking what would become a beloved regional tradition. Today, the annual Kinetic Grand Championship spans approximately 50 miles through Humboldt County, drawing thousands of spectators and participants from across the region.
The sport has grown beyond its humble beginnings and has inspired sister races throughout the country, spreading the joy of human-powered artistic vehicles to communities nationwide. The combination of engineering creativity, artistic expression, and good-humored competition has made kinetic sculpture racing a unique cultural phenomenon that perfectly embodies the spirit of Northern California's artistic community.
Those interested in learning more about the KO-ED or registering as racers can find additional information at humboldtcountyfair.org. For questions about the event or volunteer opportunities, interested individuals can contact event organizer Olivia Gambino at oliviagambinokineticuniverse.org. The fair promises this will be an unforgettable opening day celebration that honors both tradition and innovation.
