First of all, it would be hard to find a marathon course with a better combination of beauty,…read moreshade, consistent temperatures, absence of wind, and minimal hills! (Comparing to other CA marathons, S.F. has some beauty, but is very hilly. Santa Rosa is almost pancake flat, but much less shade, and often hotter. CIM is flat/net downhill, but can have unpredictable weather. Big Sur is also beautiful, but hilly and windy.) So unless having big crowds is important to you, it's a fantastic place to lock into your pace and run a PR. Yes, there are some gently rolling ups and downs (see elevation pic), but the benefits of it being so shaded are hard to overstate. A few other notes--it is a smaller marathon (maybe 400 runners last time?), so especially if you're running 3:15 or faster, you may or may not have many people to run with. However, during the second half of the marathon, you're also sharing the course with the HM and 10K people (who were wonderfully supportive), so especially during the second half, you won't be by yourself. The few relatively minor challenges with this race are side effects of the remote and beautiful location. You can only get to the staging area via a single one-lane road, and marathon, HM, and 10K people are all showing up at similar times. Since many of us were driving alone, it was a lot of cars! So there we were, in the middle of the woods, sitting in stop-and-go traffic as we all drove down one lane to the parking area. (So note: don't be like me and think that you'll be able to show up at 7 a.m. for a 7:45 start! Allow a little more time. ;-) The other thing is that cell/wi-fi service is spotty, so it takes them a while to tabulate the results and do the awards ceremony. It's not a huge deal, but plan on sticking around for a couple hours if you want your results. All in all though, up there with Boston as one of my favorite marathon experiences, and one I'd heartily recommend.

I never imagined that running 13.1 miles could be so enjoyable! This is arguably the most…read morebeautiful race course in the world. The climate is perfect for running and much of the course is shaded by the redwoods. With the exception of a few rolling hills, the course is relatively flat. I heard someone say that with so many giant trees around, wouldn't logic dictate that there's more oxygen in the air to aid the runners? I don't know if that logic holds but something special was definitely in the air for me that day. I can't wait to do it again.

2nd Half this year...beautiful scenery and great weather…read more Not having my music, and getting in "my zone" was a little challenging at first, but the sound of my own breathing and my feet hitting the pavement helped me. I was disappointed to see others with their headphones on, even though race rules said you couldn't have them. I would definitely do it again, but would stay in a cabin or camp close by. Staying in Eureka, where there was absolutely nothing to see or do, made what would have been a great weekend just ok. The race made up for it, so that was a plus.

WooooHoooooooooo what a great event. After doing Anchorage and Avenue of the Giants, I'm…read morespoiled.....I don't ever want to do an urban marathon again, except maybe Honolulu because that one is a total hoot and it starts at 5am with a beautifully xmas decorated downtown. Where were we? Oh yes, Avenue of the Giants...in the spring they offer 10k, 1/2 and full marathon courses through majestic redwoods, along the Eel River, with wildflowers in bloom, waterfalls and tranquility a plenty. DO IT!!!!!!!!

Oyster festival was wonderful! I had a great time this year, there was a wonderful selection of…read moreoysters cooked or uncooked- every way imaginable! My favorite was sushi spot's- soy and chili with daikon radish shooters! It was a windy but the weather here is unpredictable, the first half of the day it was really hot outside. I really enjoyed myself and I got to try lots of oysters as well as other kinds of food. The lines moved pretty fast. The only thing I could say I didn't like was the cost of beer and wine was pretty steep- about seven dollars per drink in small plastic cups. The oysters where more affordable than any of the beer or wine was. The square was very crowded but everyone was nice, and it was enjoyable to see everyone so interested and enthusiastic about the local oyster business.

As a resident of Arcata I've got to say I'm really disappointed at this year's Oyster Festival, at…read moreleast the part on Saturday. We paid an entry fee so we could go stand in super long, hot, dusty, and disorganized lines. Not much shade to be had, not a seat to be seen. Overhyped and oversold. Barely were able to get beers, and that was so exhausting that waiting in another ginormous line for oysters was impossible. We left without even finishing our beers. Definitely will not be doing this again, and will warn others off as well. Unless ... unless the organizers think about the people's experience and not just how to pack them in like cattle at a feed lot. And what's with not having it at the Arcata Plaza on a Sunday (so as not to compete with the incredibly well-organized Arcata farmers market)? Don't anyone tell me it's about COVID, because the way this was set up it was a super-spreader event. The events at the Plaza were way better than that animal pen.

still attending every year, even the High Times year. glad to see it back and thriving. 2024 was…read moreamazing. 2025 is Buju again! see you there

Reggae on the River is place where you can do almost anything you want. You can just camp- jump in…read moreriver, enjoy the music, food,Just have fun meeting your neighbors in close quarters. Everyone camps Very close to each other so you meet/drink/smoke/eat with a lot of cool chill people. There are a LOTTTT of performers.. if you want to stay up all night and party you can do that.. The party slows down around 6am but starts up a couple hours later and continues till Sunday Night.. At night you can walk around, meet people and go to the late night dances till about 6 am ..the main area music starts around noon and goes till midnight .. Then the after party starts and doesn't end until 6am.. They also have with have a bus guy that takes you to the top of the entrance if you need to go to the store and town to pick up any food/drinks etc free of charge...They also do have showers/ lots of bathrooms on the camp ground that are free so you can use to clean up whenever you like which is awesome.. This is a very family friendly environment. Some people bring kids seen a couple pets.. This is an awesome experience I highly recommend you all to try at least once in your life if you can,, the only part of the trip that was a bummer was all the huge rocks you camp on lol.. Make sure you bring some shoes you don't care about that have good rock grips with you and some strong sandals, I did see a lot of girls break there cheap thin sandals here.. They also have a lot of volunteer workers that are helping out.. the only down side with that is don't expect to get any of your questions answered if you talk to them . It seems like eaech one know something different.. I would just work on training them a little better or having them being more knowledgeable about things.. Other that that this was an awesome event.. It sucks its only once a year Also be very carful coming to this even , there is a horrible two lane freeway you take coming here in the mountains. IT you come into the wring lane just a little bit it could cause a huge bad crash ..

Went out to Samoa to check out the street drags. The strip is on the Samoa peninsula, you have the…read moreocean on one side and Humboldt Bay on the other side. The temp was 55 deg and light fog. The facility it's self is tired. The wooden stands showed signs of rotting. The aluminum stands are nice and right on the starting line. Everyone here was friendly and welcoming. You can walk into the pits and check out the cars, we brought our 11 year grandson and he loved it. Not much in the way of food for sale , hot dogs and soda. There are porta potties that were clean, we enjoyed our time here, recommended

This is an annual EVENT that occurs the first weekend of October…read more A charity benefit for Coastal Grove Charter School, the Medieval Festival of Courage has just celebrated its 10th year running. Admission is cheap: $5 for adults and $3 for kids up to 12. Toddlers 2 and under are free. The time period is broad, spanning from the 5th - 15th centuries, with heavy references to Scottish, Saxon and Scandinavian cultural themes. Fantasy characters, in the sense of period appropriate mythical folklore, are encouraged and live performers enact a Court of the Fae each year. The height of excitement is live, real action jousting performed by televisions Knights of Mayhem each day from 12:30 - 3:30. After the competition is complete, children and adults are welcomed into the jousting ring to partake in combat training overseen by the Knights themselves. Tour several historical encampments spanning different periods of history, now including Pirates and Vikings! Listen, if you are brave enough, to a tale of life's lessons often learned by tragedy told by the pale and deathly master story teller, The Carpathian. Browse a medieval market in which artists from all up and down the western coast sell hand made medieval reproduction items and art ranging from true cast-molded reproduction gold doubloons, to bone-ware dishes, costumes, weapons and armor. Food vendors include a stuffed flat-bread stand, Leg O Beast, Ye Old Confectioners, and a hospitality booth that provides hot meals ranging from rolls and gravy to delicious stews and chili. Alcohol is served at several vendors' booths and local goat cheeses and mead are often available. Be prepared to show ID, as there is no stamp for age at the ticket booth. Coastal Grove Charter school has several dancing and acting performances throughout the day by students, and live music plays all throughout the faire. My ONLY complaint is that at times, they had modern cover-bands playing, and I felt it was wrong for the event theme. Really shattered the immersion for a while, especially since they were acoustic, slowed down renditions of a pop songs. Hopefully that was a one time, emergency situation where the scheduled performer couldn't make it, and a local band had to fill in last second? Hopefully that won't happen again. Actors and vendors from North Coast Renaissance, The Scottish Heritage Society, Longship Trade Goods, and several local volunteers all work together to make this fun local fundraiser happen each year, and the kids it benefits are largely involved as well, learning the value of pitching in as a community towards a goal.

I'm not going to say this is the most authentic ren fair I have ever been to, but as a parent with…read morea 2 yr old, it was an entertaining way to spend a morning. They had a small petting zoo, kids performing songs, a bouncy castle, and various food booths. Also jousting, but we didn't stay for that performance. Note: the field where the fair is set up is extremely uneven and bumpy. We brought our burly jogging stroller and even that made for a pretty comfortable ride for our son. Bonus: there's a pumpkin patch in the next field over so you can get a ride on a hay wagon and a pumpkin the same day you get a turkey leg roasted on a BBQ shaped like a dragon!

This amazing race if you will - is truly just that. Once a year, on Memorial weekend, folks from…read moreall over Humboldt county and beyond gather together to bare witness to the awesomeness that is the Kinetic Sculpture Grand Championship Race. This decades long, monumental event requires not only weeks and months or years of preparation on the part of the contestants and their machines. Fans line the route for miles and miles just to catch a glimpse of what is about to unfold. The Kinetic Grand Championship is a 3-day, 42-mile bicycle race over land, sand, mud and water. Many refer to the Kinetic Grand Championship as the "Triathlon of the Art World." Day 1 of the Kinetic Grand Championship starts on the Plaza in Arcata, California at the noon whistle every Memorial Day weekend. The racers take off to the Manila dunes, where they race through miles of sand to the great and inevitable "Deadman's Drop." Then on to Eureka's downtown gazebo. Day 2 starts in Eureka at the waterfront on the Humboldt Bay, where brave Kinetic Pilots race their crafts through the water (most float). Then back on land where kinetic sculptures go up Hookton Hill, a 1 mile-7% incline and decline. Day 2 ends with a private campout for racers and volunteers only. Day 3 starts from the mouth of the Eel River, through Morgan slough and onto dry land. Racers cross the finish line on Ferndale's historic Mainstreet, where racers park and head up to the Final Awards Dinner at Ferndale's Fireman's Hall. This weekend long, three day event draws fans, followers and media far and wide - just for the moment when these amazing machines and their crews and occupants roll by - many fans following their favorites for miles. What is a Kinetic Sculpture? Kinetic Sculptures are all-terrain human-powered art sculptures that are engineered to race over road, water, mud and sand. Kinetic sculptures are amazing works of art; many are animated with moving parts like blinking eyes, opening mouths, heads that move side to side and up and down. Kinetic Sculptures are usually made from what some people consider "junk". But one man's junk is another racer's raw material. Each Kinetic Sculpture is a work of art and each racing team has its own theme. The teams consist of pilots, pit crew and pee-ons. Kinetic Pilots pedal the sculpture and steer, the pit crew assists the pilots in transforming the vehicle for the various elements and fixing mechanical issues, and pee-ons, well, they do whatever is needed for the team to get glory. The teams give out "bribes" to their adoring spectators, judges and Rutabaga Royalty. Spectators are encouraged to follow the race on their bikes (obeying all traffic laws that apply please). Seeing these marvels of art and engineering turns many people on to bike culture and reminds people how much fun riding your bike can be! This event is not to be missed! If you are ever find yourself in Arcata on Memorial weekend, or you just feel the need to see it for yourself. And just one more thing that makes Arcata and coastal northern California such a cool and wonderful place to live. A 5 STAR Festival & Community Event. 00125

Very fun spectator sport, and I am inspired to someday compete! This is a three day activity where…read morewe can observe the contestants self power their vehicles over land, sand (Deadman's Drop where having your vehicle tumble down a very steep sand dune qualifies as part of the event), and sea! There are festivities each day, both bore and after the daily competition, which are fun for all.

Great service, friendly staff. Stocked both the beverage and snack machine with all of our…read morecompanies favorites.

From the owner: Specializing in: - Billiard Equipment & Supplies…read more- Coffee & Tea-Wholesale & Manufacturers - Jukeboxes - Coffee Break Service & Supplies - Amusement Devices - Vending Machines

One of the things that makes the north coast the cool place to live that it is. Once a year area…read morebusinesses and artists gather together to celebrate the beginning of the fall season, share beautiful art and raise money for worthy local charities. Pastels on the Plaza takes place the first Saturday in October in the center of downtown Arcata. Spaces around the city plaza's sidewalk are "purchased" by area businesses and these donations go to support worthy local charity organizations, as well artists from all over the region converge on this downtown Arcata landmark event as they have for decades, early that morning to create amazing temporary works of art out of pastel chalk in these spaces. Artists young and old, groups and singles, couples and friends - amateur and professional all comes together to create, share and celebrate - life on the north coast - this is an amazing community event. This Saturday morning - cool and crisp, you can feel fall in the air. We arrive at about 8:15ish, check in, get our tools and supplies and go pick our space - we have a double space this year - representing a local town business. It's looking to be a great day on the plaza. There are people everywhere - young and old - pro and amateur all creating art for a great cause - the children of the California north coast area. The day was filled with live music, food, art and community. Children playing everywhere - people enjoying the market and art - artists catching up often only seeing each other once a year at this event. This first Saturday in October has been another great day. This event is one of the things that truly makes this community an amazing place to live... A real gem 5 Star event. 00102

Super awesome event and fundraiser for the local community. Incredible artwork and fun to watch the…read morecreations come alive. Some of them really pop with color and super vivid for pastels on pavement. I love walking around afterwards, an outside gallery of local talent.