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Kinetic Sculpture Teams to Lead Colorful, Quirky da Vinci Days Parade

CORVALLIS, ORE., July 16, 2007 — Before braving the Mud Bog, the Dunes of Confusion, and the Willamette River, participants in the 19th annual da Vinci Days Kinetic Challenge will lead a colorful, quirky parade through the streets of Corvallis.

Spiffed up with a new name, Leo's Kinetic Parade takes place Saturday, July 20th and will showcase the zany kinetic sculpture teams as they prepare to embark on their grueling all-terrain race. Trailing behind the sculpture racers will be an expanded lineup of kinetically inspired groups performing with shopping carts, Big Puppets, unicycles, electric cars, and more.

"Our Saturday parade is just what Leonardo would have loved: creative spirit, innovation, and good fun," said parade coordinator Laura Morrison.

The parade begins at noon and will trace a clockwise loop that begins and ends at 14th Street & Campus Way.

This year's parade will include appearances by:

• Accordions Anonymous, a Eugene accordion band performing atop the world's largest human-powered all-terrain accordion.
  
  
• First Alternative Shopping Cart Drill Team, a group of hip cart drivers jiving to shopping-frenzy beats.
  
  
• Uni-que, a Corvallis-based unicycle team sponsored by Corvallis Parks & Recreation, Corvallis Cyclery, and Wilson School.
  
  
• Shire of Coeur du Val, a walking demonstration of medieval and renaissance costumes, fiber spinning, tournament combat, music, and poetry by the Corvallis branch of the Society for Creative Anachronism.

The parade will travel east down Monroe Avenue, turn right onto 8th Street, and then make another right onto Madison Avenue, where it will pass by the Grandstand. From there, the parade will wind its way back to the starting point via 11th Street, Jefferson Avenue, and 14th Street. Good viewing points are available all along the route.

Masters of ceremonies Jen Waters, Eric Nepom, and Don Kahle will provide commentary at the Grandstand area, where each parade group will entertain viewers with a one-minute performance.

Festival admission bracelets are now on sale. Full weekend passes, good for all events and activities from Friday evening through Sunday, can be purchased at multiple locations around Corvallis, and from the festival's Web site: www.davinci-days.org. The price is $15 for adults (13 and up) and $10 for children (6-12.) Bracelets also will be sold at the festival's Main Gate at 11th Street & Madison Avenue. Single-day admissions, available only at the gate, will be $10 for adults and $5 for children. Children five and under will be admitted for free.

About da Vinci Days
Drawing more than 20,000 attendees, da Vinci Days is the country's longest running festival of its kind. For all ages, our weekend summer festival features art that makes you think, mini race cars built by school kids, a juggling physics lesson, a race of human-powered kinetic sculptures, Grammy Award winning music, a film festival, a nationally renowned keynote speaker, non-stop stage and street performances, interactive exhibits of cutting-edge research at Oregon State University, da Vinci-style contests, and hands-on activities exploring art, science, and technology. With help from more than 150 community partners and 1,000 volunteers, da Vinci Days showcases innovative artists, engineers, teachers, community organizations, and individuals. The 19th annual festival celebrates all things kinetic with a theme of Motion & Commotion on July 20-22, 2007.

On the Web: www.davinci-days.org