The Santa Barbara Kite Festival Rescheduled to April 21 at SBCC’s West Campus

[UPDATE]: Due to rain in the forecast, The Santa Barbara Kite Festival, originally scheduled for this Sunday April 14th, has been moved to 11am-4pm Sunday April 21st on the west campus at Santa Barbara City College.

By the Santa Barbara Kite Festival

The 2024 Santa Barbara Kite Festival returns 11am to 4pm this Sunday, April 14th to the “Great Meadow” on the west campus of Santa Barbara City College! This year’s theme is “Love is a Breeze!”

Festival Kite Master Rakesh Bahadur and director David Hefferman selected this year’s festival theme to celebrate the love, laughter, and togetherness of families and friends at the festival.

The “Childrens Tail Chase” is guaranteed to generate even more fun and laughter at the event. The tail chases feature groups of kids chasing and capturing the tail of a kite expertly flown by Mr. Bahadur. The festival schedule is full with family-friendly kite contests including “Most Beautiful” (handmade & commercial), “Highest Flying”, “Largest & Smallest Kites”, ”Youngest & Oldest Kite Flyers”, “Most Unique Or Unusual Kite”, “Funniest Kite”, “Most Unflyable Kite”, “Best Handmade Kite” (a new category), and “Best of Fest” – recognizing the best overall kite entry and participant of the day. Finally, festival organizers will select this year’s winner of the “Lion Award”- created in the memory of local legend Chad Dreier and presented by the Dreier family. The “Great Meadow” is located on the west campus of Santa Barbara City College, 973 Cliff Drive, Santa Barbara, Ca 93109. Admission to the festival is free. Parking is available on both west campus and the main campus. Kites, food, and beverages can be purchased at the event.

Thanks to a 2007 proclamation by the Santa Barbara City Council, April is officially designated as “Kite Month” in Santa Barbara, The Santa Barbara Kite Festival has also been recognized by the city for its annual contributions to community recreation and family fun. Santa Barbara’s kite month of April is promoted in coordination with the National Kite Month of April – co-founded by the American Kite Flyers Association and the Kite Trade Association International .

Free flying of your kite is allowed & encouraged outside of the Festival Flying Safety Zone (approx 75 yard area marked off at Festival for events listed below).

Note: This schedule is wind & conditions dependent and may change without notice. Please respect the event participants in the competition area Do not fly your kite or your child’s kite over the competition area please.

No Kite Fighting exhibitions 

Private Play allowed at the Festival

• CHILDRENS’ KITE TAIL CHASE 11am-330pm Top & Bottom Of Hour- GAME- groups of kids chase and try to capture the kite master’s kite tail. Age groups ranging from ages 3-4/5, 6-8, 8-12, Please fill out a participation waiver at the information booth,
• 12:45pm: MOST BEAUTIFUL- COMMERCIAL & HANDMADE KITES
• 1:15 pm YOUNGEST & OLDEST FLYERS
• 1:45 pm MOST UNIQUE KITE, MOST UNUSUAL KITE
• 2:15 FUNNIEST KITE, MOST UNFLYABLE KITE!
• 2:45 pm LARGEST KITES, HIGHEST FLYING KITES
• 3:15pm BEST OF FEST & Lion Award!
• TIME TBC SPORT FLYER & TOY/AERIAL DEMOS

FAQs (frequently asked questions about the event)

• BATHROOMS ARE EASY WALKING DISTANCE in the LRC (Library
  Center – the building directly east of the festival), and portable
  restrooms.
• Kites on sale at the event
• Summerland Catering (Tinker’s Hot Dogs) and beverages for sale
• Free Admission, plenty of parking (some metered, some free in upper lots) www.sbkitefest.net www.facebook.com/santabarbarakitefestival

For more info, visit our website at www.sbkitefest.net, our facebook page/santabarbarakitefestival, or call 805-637-6202. For info about National Kite Month go to www.nationalkitemonth.org, and www.kite.org.