Water Carnival a Blast from the Past

What started out as an overcast day, with a maritime cloud layer blocking the sun and cooling the air, turned on a dime at 11 a.m. just as the first float for the new came into view. Sunlight flooded the beach and river, the crowd erupted in cheers, and the giant swan – signature float of the parade – drifted down the Russian River headed for Memorial Beach, with a buoyant “Mr. Healdsburg” waving up the applause.

The Swan was followed by a dozen other floats, from pirate ships to floating feasts to Cleopatra’s Barge, each cheered by its backers and appreciative watchers.

“Incredible,” answered Lollie Mercer of River’s Edge Canoe and Kayak, a major sponsor of the event, when I asked how she was doing. “I’m running on fumes, but this is incredible.”

Estimates at the scene placed the number of water carnival witnesses at about 1,000, but exact numbers were difficult to pinpoint. Not only was the crowd dispersed from the railroad bridge down the length of Memorial Beach on the one side, and filling the Front St. picnic area on the other, but both bridges had their fair share of people watching the show.

After the parade the floats lined up on the beach and offered photo-ops for kids of all ages, plus the opportunity to climb onto the hand-made floats and meet such luminaries as Neptune (Ron Bendorff), Cleopatra (Kelsey Loupy), and of course Mr. Healdsburg (Tejpal Sekhon).

“This is so amazing,” said Liz Keeley, organizer of the event for the Sonoma County Parks Foundation. “It’s just turning out wonderful. Be sure you ride the swan when you get a chance!”

Swan rides were $1 for kids, $2 for adults throughout the rest of the Water Carnival, which runs until 4:00 pm Saturday.

Check back later for more details, photos and video of the Healdsburg Water Carnival, July 23 2011.