Lincoln City Summer Kite Festival And Fall Kite Festival

Lincoln City Summer Kite Festival And Fall Kite Festival

Lincoln City

D River State Recreation Site

Late June and early fall

www.oregoncoast.org/lincoln-city-summer-kite-festival

www.oregoncoast.org/lincoln-city-fall-kite-festival

Lincoln City’s beautiful D River Beach comes alive with color during the Kite Festival. Lincoln City throws two popular Saturday/Sunday kite festivals each year, one in late June (Lincoln City Summer Kite Festival) and one in early fall (Lincoln City Fall Kite Festival), both held at the beautiful sand beach in the center of town at D River Wayside. These kaleidoscopic celebrations feature incredible displays of kite flying with massive, eye-popping kites of all descriptions handled by experts.

From simple handmade diamond-shaped kites like those we all flew as kids to the most elaborate novelty kites, every style of kite is represented at these family-friendly festivals, and at peak times the vibrant-blue summer sky over the beach literally swarms with incredible kites of all descriptions. In addition to the super-popular and colorful “big kites,” expert flyers also demonstrate stunt kites and other specialty styles. Events include the festive Running of the Bols, in which participants do their best to run the beach into the wind to launch and fly big, circular, spinning, bol-style kites, the Kids Kite Parade on the Beach, and the free kite-making workshops for kids. The daily schedule can vary based on weather conditions, but the beach and the surrounding area is well worth exploring no matter the weather.

The spectacular kite displays and the fun festival activities make the Lincoln City Kite Festivals must-see spectacles, and this central-coast community offers many other activities and attractions: quiet stretches of beach with little-known hidden access points, fantastic shops of every description, eateries ranging from great seafood restaurants to regionally renowned dinner houses, a popular craft brewery, countless lodging options, crabbing and fishing on Siletz Bay, and much more. Though spacious, the parking lot at D River Wayside fills up on festival weekends, so arrive early. Otherwise park at the nearby Lincoln City Community Center or Lincoln City Outlets and use the free shuttle, which runs continuously from 10 am to 4 pm both Saturday and Sunday. D River Wayside is within easy walking distance of a variety of restaurants, lodging options, and shops, as well as pleasant D River State Recreation Site.

Southern Oregon Kite Festival

Brookings

Port of Brookings-Harbor Kite Field

Third weekend in July

www.southernoregonkitefestival.com

Anchoring Oregon’s south coast, the community of Brookings offers everything a traveler could want—incredible beaches, myriad lodging options, fun restaurants, intriguing shops, wonderful weather much of the time, and a variety of enjoyable annual events, including one of the premier kite festivals in the United States. Since 1993, the Southern Oregon Kite Festival has attracted some of the best-known kite fliers and kite makers, all there to perform with bedazzling kites of all kinds and display their creations for locals and tourists alike. This invitational event originated as the dream of kite hobbyist Steve O’Brien and as the creation of Larry and Lynn Goodman, former owners of KCRE radio station in Crescent City,

California. Beginning in 2001 the Port of Brookings Harbor assumed sponsorship of the festival. In 2006, the kite festival became a nonprofit organization managed by a dedicated group of community volunteers.

The event, which is free to the public (including free parking and a free shuttle bus), offers kite demonstrations featuring everything from classic diamond-style kites to elaborate and incredibly decorative giant inflatables (and many other kinds of kites). Kids can build kites themselves at the free kite-making classes, and a variety of vendors offer not only kites and kite-related merchandise but also other arts and crafts and a variety of local foods. The festival begins with a Friday-night indoor kite-flying demo at the Brooking-Harbor High School gymnasium, then the outdoor events begin Saturday morning at 10 at the harbor along the mouth of the Chetco River (which is also adjacent to lovely Sporthaven Beach).

Sunday begins with the pancake breakfast at the Harbor Fire Hall.

Parking is limited at the kite-flying field, but the free shuttle buses run from the spacious parking lot nearby on Lower Harbor Road. Each year, the festival publishes a program (available on the website) that lists many lodging options, but make reservations early; RVers can find spaces very close to the kite field at either Beachfront RV Park, www.beachfrontrvpark.com, or Driftwood RV Park, www.driftwoodrvpark.com, and the area offers several other RV sites.

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