Tide of revelers enjoys river fest

The lead singer of Baby Seal Club, one of the many bands that played at the Rivertown Revival in Petaluma Saturday, clearly has high hopes for the event's future.

“We all get to say in 20 years, ‘Yeah, I was at the first Rivertown Revival,'” the singer, who would identify himself only as Fudo, told the crowd before launching into song.

Twenty years may be too far away to predict, but Rivertown Revival's organizers certainly seemed eager for a sequel next year. Thousands of people showed up at McNear Peninsula to witness an eclectic mix of music, dancing, crafts and contests including an art boat competition won by a floating dragon.

There was also a giant remote-controlled chicken, whose owners stayed coy on exactly how to classify it.

Co-organizer Kelin Backman, a longtime Petaluma resident, said the event was envisioned as a way to give back to the community and embrace the city's oft-ignored river — “the greatest slough on earth,” as the event literature called it.

The Revival helped raise funds for the Friends of the Petaluma River and the Petaluma Arts Council.

Backman said she would have been happy with 1,500 attendees. Instead, she got multiples of that, helped along by beautiful weather. By 4 p.m. nearly 4,000 visitors were counted entering the park.

“It's very crowded,” she said. “We're thrilled.”

The event was envisioned as a riverfront carnival some 100 years ago, which explained all the people in period costume, not to mention the abundance of parasols.

Few people went as far as Taylor Diffenderfer, though. Out on her 19th birthday, she was sporting a bustle skirt, corset, and shawl, which contrasted nicely with a luxuriant beard glued on for the event.

“I have a whole new confidence really,” the bearded lady said, lightly touching her facial hair. “It's awesome.”

The number of people dressed up in costume didn't match Santa Rosa's Handcar Regatta, which will celebrate its third anniversary in September, according to Jessica Dancisak, who came dressed like she was headed to a garden party at the Gatsby's. But Dancisak liked the direction the event appeared to be going.

“I'm excited to see the progression of it in the years to come,” Dancisak said. “It has a lot of promise to it.”