Hello Explorers!

Last week ended up being much busier than I initially anticipated. I jumped in to help Raining Chainsaws Puppet Death Match event and it was incredible. The event was sold out, boisterous and absurd! Thanks to all of you who reached out and said hello during intermissions, and if I missed anyone thank you for coming to the event.

Saturday I was also privileged to attend the Wyliding Woods show in Mill Valley. It was incredible, and certainly if you have little ones this is well worth the trip. They just added one more weekend to their run, but I have a feeling there’s more to come soon.

We’re right in the middle of a compacted schedule of events from all the various activities happening in the Bay, and we’re trying to go along for the ride. Driveway Follies curio is this Thursday (more information below), and we have the Rosicrucian Museum exploration on November 8th.

First up though is the Steeplechase Captain’s Report:

Captain’s Report: Steeplechase 2025

“Ohh joy of joys, the Great San Francisco Steeplechase is here!” 

That’s what I kept thinking throughout the day of our 2025 anniversary edition of Steeplechase. There is something both exhilarating and deeply comforting about revisiting an event so familiar, an annual ritual of laughter, jaunty hats, and shared adventure. This year, however, we decided to do things a little differently. The well-worn field guide was set aside, and instead, we turned our gaze backward reflecting on our own history with the event. In doing so, we uncovered the stories and ideals that quietly shape who we are as Explorers.

Right away, the Explorers who chose to attend made themselves known by wearing the most outlandish, inspiring, and delightfully jaunty hats I may have ever seen. As our group reached critical mass, it was time to begin with the story of the Phantom Carousel. Despite my request that everyone leap into public absurdity at a bustling tourist attraction, no one hesitated. Each Explorer mounted their imaginary carousel creature, proudly harkening back to 2016.

Upon completing this ghostly circuit, Lark stepped forward to help improve our Steeplechase experience by offering to compile all our money, BUY ALL THE TICKETS, and make our process smoother at each carousel. With that, we made our way to the Pier 39 carousel and found the operator meeting us at our level. After everyone found their steed of choice, he required a boisterous call-out from all of us to get the ride going. Of course, we were more than happy to oblige. We counted off and gave him a heartfelt command: “Giddy up!” The Explorers occupied all the steeds on both levels, with only the benches remaining.

As we finished our first physical carousel, we started to make our way to Yerba Buena. Along the way, we told the story of the time the flag was lost (in 2022, when Lark and Binary unknowingly left it behind at the streetcar platform). Two volunteers took on the role of Denorae (who rescued it all those years ago), while the rest of us continued on our path. We were delighted to find that the rescue crew successfully recreated the flag’s recovery and even arrived at Yerba Buena before the group. With our troupe whole once again, we told the story of Stephen Clarke and mounted our steeds at Yerba Buena!

After our second carousel came a well-earned lunch break and, of course, the grand assessment of jaunty hats. The Committee for Jaunty Hat Assessment faced a difficult decision amid an abundance of stellar entries. Third place (the Pinwheel Prize) went to Heather for her complete costume-and-hat ensemble. “Ghost of Christmas Present in a Dad Bod” claimed second, and the gloriously abstract “Twisted Yogurt Swirl” took home the coveted first-place ribbon.

As we began our trek to the third carousel, a voice erupted from behind the troupe. Lark had noticed that the flag was left behind and, luckily, saved it! The redemption arc we’d been vying for over the last three years finally came full circle. Although amends were made, Lark noted that she would still prefer not to take responsibility for the flag.

The carousel in Golden Gate Park greeted us first with its music, and as we got closer, each Explorer began to identify their final steed of the day. Lark once again BOUGHT ALL THE TICKETS for the riders, and as we lined up, we felt the excitement of the final carousel ahead. I never tire of the charm that the Golden Gate Park carousel provides. Although some of the more elaborate creatures don’t move up and down, I still love that they’re an option. Lark led us in singing “The Last Carousel,” finishing just as the ride wound down.

When the music faded, we invited members of the troupe to offer vows (a nod to the Steeplechase marriage of 2023). One by one, Explorers stepped forward, speaking from the heart, exchanging symbolic ring pops, and sealing friendships with laughter and applause.

Just when it seemed the day would end on that heartfelt note, Belle Cunningham unveiled one final surprise: a bus that spirited a band of Explorers off to the zoo. Those who stayed behind did their best to conjure the illusion by performing various animal roles, a fittingly whimsical finale.

And so, with ribbons distributed for jauntiness, whimsy, artistry, and performance, Steeplechase 2025 came to a close. The day passed swiftly, but the joy lingers. Another chapter in our ongoing story of camaraderie, creativity, and absurd delight.

Thank you to all the Explorers who joined this year’s adventure. Until next time: giddy up.

Driveway Follies Curio - October 30th

If you’ve been a part of the Explorers Guild for a while, you know how much love and appreciation the Guild has for Driveway Follies. In recent years, we’ve encouraged people to meet at the same show and experience it together. This was before we had really built out the language of a curio, but that’s exactly what this is: an event that doesn’t follow the same structure as our other Guild outings. In this case, let’s simply see a show together.

Driveway Follies is a marionette show created by masters of the craft and performed free of charge for the public. Each year, the show presents different vignettes of spooky and Halloween magic, and the public is encouraged to attend. I don’t say this lightly, but this is one of my favorite pieces of art each year.

The show is kid-friendly and runs on both the 30th and 31st. As a group with many adults, we’ll be attending the final show on the 30th. This year, I’ve also created a field guide (which isn’t typical for curios, but I just couldn’t help myself).

Logistics

When: Thursday, October 30th, 9pm.

Where: 3854 Greenwood Ave, Oakland

Extra Details:

• Parking can be hard in the neighborhood, do not drive down Greenwood near the venue as it’s blocked off. Carpool with other Explorers, park on Park Blvd, and plan to walk. You can also take AC transit bus 33.

• How do I find other Explorers? Look for Dr Professor. He’ll be the one in the brimmed hat and wearing a jacket with the Explorers emblem on the front. Tell him “Trick or Treat” and he’ll give you a field guide.

• We’ll be planning to watch the 9:30 show, but will need to congregate to be next at 9pm. This will make sense when we’re there, but just trust me there’s a lot of people all vying to watch the show.

If you have any extra questions, or you’re lost on the night of you’re welcome to ping the 1030-driveway-follies channel on Slack.

Ok, that’s all for this dispatch. Next time we’ll be going over the exploration to the Rosicrucian Museum on November 8th (meeting at 12:30pm).

Semper Explorandum Explorers!