The Berkeley Kite Festival, the most gigantic non-concert outdoor event I’ve ever been to, takes place in the Berkeley Marina every July. This year, the dates are July 27 and 28th.
The largest kites, about the size of a full-sized school bus, can be seen from the top of the Berkeley Hills. The festival is family friendly with jumpy houses, kite-making stations, and a kite “ballet” performance in the sky. My daughter’s highlight is the pony rides.
Study the transportation and parking options before embarking on this trip. The Kite Festival is FREE, but parking at Golden Gate Fields costs $20. Valet parking for bikes is available for free.
The activities take place from 10 am to 6 pm.
HANDS-ON ACTIVITIES both days:
» Free Kite Flying Lessons
» Free Kite Making, 11:00-2:00
» Free Candy Drop, 3:30
» Free Rokkaku Battle, 1:30 & 4:15 (sign up required)
There are plenty of food stands and kids activities, but bringing a picnic is also a great option.
This rather lengthy video shows you exactly what to expect during the weekend kite festival:
[Photo by Whitney Moss]
1 thought on “Berkeley Kite Festival (2019)”
This was the most amazing thing we did last summer. My son is Autistic and we caught public transportation which I don’t recommend especially if your child has a hard time waiting as mine does. When we got there we flew my daughter’s Hello Kitty kite and the music was amazing in the background. The food was super expensive. A small character popsicle was $6.00!!! I brought a lunch for him, and he had a wonderful time. This year I will drive because the wait for the bus to get there was over an hour. To get home was a wait as well. Check out his video and pictures on my instagram @bilaliyah. You can see all the wonderful adventures we have gone to. Last adventure was 4th of July Alameda County Fair!