‘Go fly a kite.’ Thousands attend Morro Bay Kite Festival after pandemic hiatus

About 3,000 people flew their kites high against the backdrop of Morro Rock as the Morro Bay Kite Festival returned after a two-year hiatus.

The free, family-friendly event was held April 30 and May 1 on the beach.

The kite festival was put on hold for two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The city of Morro Bay has since handed management of the event back to festival founder Shaun Farmer, owner of Beachfront Kites, Surreys and More in Morro Bay.

“It was kind of scary at first,” Farmer said. “I didn’t know if we could put it together but it all came together and the weather’s perfect. All the people are out having fun.”

After three months of planning around vendors, city permits and more, Farmer said the festival was “well worth the stress.”

Farmer worked with the Southern California American Kitefliers Association president Glen Rothstein, who was announcing at the festival, to find professional fliers from as far as Alaska.

“When I started this 16 years ago, a lot of (kite) fliers came and heard about it, and they just spread the word,” said Farmer, who was born and raised in Morro Bay. “ (One man) said this is one of the best beaches to fly kites in California.”

Professional kite fliers demonstrated their techniques at the Morro Bay festival over the weekend. In one popular trick, known as a cascade, the kite pops in and out until it reaches the ground, then gains 40 to 50 feet of momentum in the air.

According to its website, the festival’s goal is to bring “all generations together in a safe, relaxing and fun environment to learn and participate in the art of kite flying, Morro Bay style.”

“Looking on the beach today, it’s amazing,” Farmer said. “All the smiling faces, the kids, the parents. If you look down there, nobody’s on their phone.”

One participant said the Morro Bay Kite Festival “brings me back to when I was younger, when they used to have paper kites.”

Don, a Los Osos resident who asked that his last name not be used for privacy reasons, attended the festival from morning into the afternoon on Saturday, and has attended many years in the past.

Don said he used to make diamond-shaped newspaper kites as a kid. Now he has a collection of about 10 or 11 kites bought locally — and that collection grew on April 30, he said.

Farmer founded the kite festival about 16 years ago alongside Carol Berry, a former member and now trustee of Central Coast Funds for Children. Another main supporter has been the Morro Bay Maritime Museum, Farmer said.

The two groups were there giving out 500 blank kites for children to decorate and fly.

“It’s wonderful — it’s so much fun to see the smiles on their faces and you know, happy people,” Berry said, tying a string to one of the kites. “And it’s a gorgeous day.”

The festival included candy drops for the kids. Organizers lifted a kite full of candy into the air and, as the treats fell out, kids picked up as much as they could while “I Want Candy” by Bow Wow Wow played from speakers around the beach.

One family came from Orcutt to “do something as a family and it seemed really cool,” said mom Hayley, who didn’t want to give her last name.

Hayley said the family practically never flies kites, but on May 1, her 2-year-old daughter got her start.

Farmer said people should spend more time with their kids outside.

“Get out and enjoy life,” Farmer said. “And I don’t mean this meanly, but go fly a kite.”

This story was originally published May 1, 2022 at 2:05 PM.