HUMBOLDT — Before area youngsters begin trudging back to school in the coming weeks, they’ll get another opportunity to beat the summer heat with Saturday’s Water Wars.
The water-based event is sponsored by A Bolder Humboldt.
Activities kick off at 11 a.m. with a water parade circling the downtown square, where water-themed floats and fire trucks wage battle on bystanders with water guns of various styles and sizes. The crowd is actively encouraged to return fire.
The end of the parade brings mayhem elsewhere, with downtown Humboldt converted into a veritable water theme park. A block-long slip and slide, bubble making stations, a foam pipe and kiddie pools return.
Also back are the water balloon dodgeball competitions, polar plunge tanks, water bottle rockets, inflatable water slides, water balloon slingshots, fire truck tours and hydrant sprinklers.
Food trucks will offer assorted treats, and the Water Wars Beer Garden returns.
For those hoping to stay dry, organizers have established the DMZ — Dry Man Zone — for a variety of stage acts through the afternoon. The only pause will be for a watermelon eating contest.
The event concludes at 3 p.m. with the Barrel Blaster, featuring teams of firefighters and civilians blasting streams of water at an overhead barrel in an attempt to push it to the other side.
