LAKEPORT – The annual Western State Seaplane Festival – known locally as the Seaplane Splash-in – usually takes place in fall, but event organizers are planning a practice event for next week, with the planes taxiing through the downtown.

The Lakeport City Council approved allowing the practice event, scheduled for midday on Thursday, April 12.

Damon Trimble, one of the event organizers, said the 28th event is scheduled to take place Sept. 21-23.

"The difference between this year and the previous 27 is that we're going out and very proactively inviting the public to join us for the weekend," Trimble said.

This year's event also will include a festival in Library Park, Trimble said.

Another new aspect this year is that, as part of the event promotion, Trimble said they want to bring the seaplanes into downtown and park them along the street during the annual Taste of Lakeport event, scheduled for August 24.

Trimble said, "We want to borrow the streets for a couple of minutes" on April 12, in order to see if the planes will be able to taxi down the city's streets with no problems.

The timing, said Trimble, is due to this being the only time both of the planes, which are working planes out of Sacramento, can come over for the practice run.

At noon on April 12 the planes will come up on the First Street boat ramp, said Trimble, turn onto Park Street and park briefly between the Carnegie Library and City Hall. A few parking spaces along the street will need to be blocked off, said Trimble. Because the planes' wings are positioned higher, he said they should pass cars and other objects without hitting them.

Planes also will come from the Clearlake Avenue ramp near the Skylark Motel and park in front of the motel entrance, Trimble said. That will require closing one block of Main Street.

The taxi runs should take no more than 15 minutes each, said Trimble.

Trimble said there will be several volunteers there to help make sure the planes travel through the streets with no trouble.

Neither the police department nor the city Public Works departments had concerns with the plan on Tuesday.

The council unanimously approved the request.

E-mail Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

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