Held on the third weekend of July every year since 1993, the annual Southern Oregon Kite Festival has become a local tradition with an international following. This free event is generously sponsored by local businesses and citizens, and put on through the efforts of many hard-working volunteers. The festival has grown to feature more than 30 of the world’s finest kite-builders and flyers from around the world, executing amazing aerial routines choreographed to music. These are the best of the best. The two-day event also includes kite-building workshops for children, instruction in kite-flying techniques, and a Children’s Kite Parade. There is also a very popular Auction Banquet on Saturday night, and an indoor kite-flying demonstration Friday night (turns out you don’t need wind to fly a kite).
The festival began life as the brainchild of kite enthusiast Steve O’Brien. He’d attended kite festivals throughout the Pacific Northwest, and kept wishing there was one in Brookings. Together with Larry Goodman (who sadly passed away last year) and his wife Lynn, then-owners of radio station KCRE in Crescent City, they rallied the local community around to the idea of putting on the festival, and the rest is history.
WHERE: At the Port of Brookings-Harbor. Parking at the Kite Field is very limited, so please park in the large lot on Lower Harbor Road and hop on one of the free shuttles to the event.
MORE INFO: SOKF.org
Next Up: #27 – Port of Brookings-Harbor