Berkeley Kite Festival

Never saw anything cool or fun about flying a kite. I mean, people tell annoying people to go «fly a kite» so they can leave them the F alone, right? Nothing positive about that. So WTF am I writing this review? Because WGAF. If you like flying kites, I guess this is a cool place to go. Lots of kite flying dweebs here. Looks like everyone here was single, so if you’re desperate for a mate, there’s plenty of eligible singles here. Everyone here looks happy, but they may be dying inside.

This is one of the coolest things to do in Berkeley. The Berkeley Kite Festival in the summertime is a fun and free event at the park at Berkeley Marina. The highlight is definitely the GIANT OCTOPUS KITES. OCTOPI IN THE SKY!!! You can actually see them in the distance as you’re walking closer to the park because they are so huge. They are many of them and in different colors. I was just in awe when I saw them for the first time. There are tons of other kites at the festival too — more of the regular kind that you would see at the beach or your local park. You are definitely encouraged to bring your own kite. People had set up blankets and chairs and tents and were either flying their own kites or watching other people fly their kites. It’s such a lovely event and great to see people in the community — Cal students, families, everyone! — come out to have some summer fun.
I usually just walk over to the Marina using the pedestrian overpass bridge that goes over 80. If you haven’t been to the Kite Festival, go next summer — the octopi are totally worth it!

Let’s Go Fly a Kite!
Fields of kites blanket the beautiful blue yet appropriately windy skies of Berkeley. Having gone to the Berkeley Kite Festival twice in two years, I am obviously an avid fan. Although most attendees are families with small children, young adults typically enjoy this event. ALERT ALERT: Great date idea!
Whether you fly a kite or simply watch the kites majestically fly through the sky, you will have a blast. Remember to pack a lunch. Don’t bother taking the shuttles from the Berkeley Marina parking lot to Kite Hill; it’s only a 15 – 20 minute walk. There are also food and drink vendors, a petting zoo, and a kid’s bouncy activity area.
Must see if you live in Berkeley!

If you live in the area and are looking for some good family fun, this festival is a great way to spend a few hours. I can’t really find anything to complain about… this festival is free to attend, after all. Lot’s of great kite competitions and pretty kites to gaze at. The venue for it is great… along the water with the right amount of wind. There are a bunch of little booths selling artwork, cothes and of course kites. And then there are also a series of food stands selling your typical carnival type food… funnel cakes, bbq on a stick, etc. There are also plenty for the kids to do… pony rides (although i’m sure the ponies don’t think it’s that fun) and jump houses, an animal petting area… you have to pay admission to visit those areas, i believe, but i don’t think the cost was super terrible. We live close enough to the park to where we didn’t really have to worry about parking, but I would imagine that if you are driving, you’d want to get there early to grab a spot ($ 15 fee) that’s within reasonable walking distance, although I did see that they had free shuttles if you parked in some of the further lots provided. If you can ride your bike here, do so to avoid car parking… it’s a fun area to ride around in anyway and they had free valet bike parking on-​site. Make sure to dress in layers as it could go from being chilly early in the day to being pretty warm depending on the fog/​cloud cover.
We’ve lived in the area for a few years now and this year was the first time we’ve visited… after our experience here, we’ll try to make this a yearly event. Great fun for everyone!

This is my second consecutive year attending BFK. Last year, I paid $ 15 and parked in the lot across from the event. This year, I parked in the parking lot behind the soccer field. I ended up walking 10 minutes on some back road in order to get to the festival. I was happy to see that they changed some of the big kites. I really enjoyed seeing Toothless from How To Train a Dragon.
I feel as though this festival is really geared towards children and families. I loved that there was a booth where children and any adults who are children at heart could decorate and make their own pinwheels and kites. Unfortunately, they ran out of kites by the time I got there, but it was fun to see many people proudly flying the kites they made.
My only gripe is that I wish they could figure out another way to organize the parking situation. In order for the shuttle to be of any use to people, you have to park in the Golden Gate Fields parking lot, which costs $ 15. I think I remember reading somewhere that the proceeds go to charity, but still, I think it’s a bit pricey.
TIP: Bring some food and drinks for a picnic!
TIP: Bring sunglasses and wear layers! It’s typically windy, but it’s hard to predict if it’ll be warm or cold so be prepared.
CON: Lots of traffic and limited parking. Expect to be around lots of people who don’t really know what they’re doing.

There’s something gratifying about seeing a community getting together and celebrating something so juvenile as kite flying.
From the high way you can see hundreds of kites dancing in the sky, all different shapes, sizes, colors — just from an outside perspective it’s like seeing something in the movies that you’d never think you’d see in real life.
Parking is atrocious! The prices may vary from $ 15 or so but there are shuttle buses from the marina to the fields. The delta winds made the day perfect for flying and if you’re wanting to join the crowd, they have booths set up with different types of kites to buy. The food vendors were pretty sketchy and there were games for kids to play.
I didn’t stay as long as I wanted to but it’s pretty limited to what you can do out there but if you do plan on going you may want to bring sunscreen, a blanket to sit on, and perhaps your own food since the vendors tasted like shit.
I promised my dad that I’d take him next year and I’m pretty much looking forward to it.

Low key family fun. Food booths, kids activities, and lots of fresh air. Word the wise bring bikes, parking looked to be a nightmare.

If your looking for a fun family outing this is the place to be. Kites and piñata kites

Great summer kite fest in Berkeley flying kite in afternoon with your firend and family. This is one of my event to do in the summer lots of sun great wind for fly kites awesome for kids great food over all a great afternoon
Here come on down and join us :3

PARKING IS A NIGHTMARE!
Parking is $ 15
There are friendly shuttles provided by the city of Berkely. Took us about 45mins from the exit ramp to park due to the congestion. You could also park at Golden Gate Fields and take the shuttle –would probaly avoid that same traffic we were stuck in.
Will definately make it an annual event if we can make it! We had such a great time (minus the parking). We packed a picnic basket of goodies however there are a good handful of vendors and food trucks available.
No kite? No problem! There are booths where you can make your own kite, purchase a legitimate kite or heck there are a bajillion kites out you can enjoy the day without even having to fly your own! We didnt fly one this year, but next year when the little man is old enough maybe we’ll fly one then.
Make it a picnic, bring your family, or bring a date. Its definately fun for all. Who doesn’t like flying a kite? When the heck did you last fly one?

Came here yesterday. Event is pretty small, compared to other festivals. The kites are cool, and highline kites gave away paper kites for kids to draw on, but they can fly pretty high. I really liked the giant kites and seeing some of the fighter kites. Admission is free, but parking is $ 15. If you park near golden gate fields, definitely grab a shuttle. There’s no way that it’s walkable. I think this event would be more fun if there were more vendors, events, and things to do. I was ready to leave within and hour, but it’s worth seeing once. Remember to bring a warm jacket, the marina is super windy!

Time: 1:40pm
Purpose: Driving by seeing plenty of food trucks nestle on hills.
Event: Annual kite festival
Eats: There are a handful of food trucks here so don’t worry about eating just make sure you know what you want when its your turn as others in line are hungry too. I just had a bag of kettle corn as I was full from Assemble earlier. Bring cash as ATM machine is not an option here have to walk back to one of the store located at the pier.
Thoughts: Its a great event for the whole family to at least attend once in their lifetime. Today the weather was just right but breezy overcast most people didn’t mind. As I got closer to event first kite I saw was Toyota then Kikkoman, hotel Nikko… etc. So, Japanese brand companies that has full sponsors in the event. Its not noisy at all here as everyone was milling around and around. There are options for kids also if they want pony rides or pet the animals but watch your kids no telling what will happen when others are around also.

Ugh… Swarms of people. long lines for everything with overpiced kid’s jumpy thingys, and the poor, poor ponies. being led sadly in a small circle while a line of kids awaited their turns to ride them. :(made me sad. The main attraction, the kites, were sadly the background noise against the forefront of a mad, disorganized carnival gone wrong.
I certainly didn’t mind the ½ mile walk to get there though, that was the best part. I think the kite fest, for me, is best enjoyed from afar.

The Berkeley Kite Festival should be on everyone’s Summer Bucket List
it is something i look forward to every year (even though i haven’t gone every year). i’ve been fortunate enough to have my fair share of visits to the festival.
i remember my first time being wide-​eyed and fascinated by the Thanksgiving Parade sized kites that can be seen as i drove up to the marina. i came unprepared not having a kite of my own envious of everyone else with theirs soaring in the sky.
the second time i went was for work and play. i was working one of the booths advertising for a summer camp. remembering the last time however i remembered to buy a kite in advance. a beautiful 16″ kite (from costco) but like i said it was work and play.
the last time i went was most recently and i was able to enjoy it all like it was the first time. i went with a group of friends who are also festival fans. it was sharing of best practices. they were big fans of the kite battles and stunt kites, which i never stopped by to see. however they have never brought a kite of their own to fly, and so in return i brought mine.
hopefully before the next one i’ll have a stunt kite to fly. watching them fly was amazing! not sure if i’m ready for the investment but a boy can dream…
a free event, except for the $ 10 parking fee and it’s fun for all ages from tiny tykes and grandparents alike.
until next time
cheers

This was my first time so it was kinda nice!
Admission: FREEEEE. It’s a park. You just come and enjoy the beautiful kites.
Parking: We followed the directions from the site and it was no good. There was no way we could get in the Golden Gate Fields or what so ever… So we parked somewhere on Gilman St… and it was FREE too btw! No need to pay $ 10. We just walked along the beach and managed to get over to the park. It took us about 15 mins or so?
TIME: Best time to get there would be after 12. Yes, it does start at 10AM but there’s not much going on at that time. It seems like they put more kites up as it gets later in the day. And you don’t have to follow the schedule on the event page. All the kites competition is so small that you won’t even notice it.
What to expect: buncha kites flying around the beautiful sky. I’m not sure what the theme is but they sure do have a lot of the octopus kites! It would be nice if they have other design and fly it higher!
Food Vendors: I did see a lot of different BBQ/​Festival food but I didn’t get any because the price is outrageous! $ 4 for 1 corn… no thanks!
For Kids: They have a small area with buncha activities just for kids. You can ride ponies, paint your face, and I forgot what else. And if you check the time, they also drop the candies from the kite which sounds kinda neat.
TIPS:
— Bring a blanket to sit on and enjoy buncha nice kites
— Bring a light sweater because you’re near the ocean so it’s always kinda chilly
— Bring a kite to fly!!! Don’t go there and buy one for $ 100 like my friend did, hahahaa
— Don’t forget your sunglasses on a sunny day out
— Wear comfortable shoes to walk around
— For girls, bring a cross body bag so you won’t have to carry much unless you have to.

What:
— Festival to see all kinds of flamboyant and artistic kites
— Free kite flying and kite making lessons
— Entertainment for kids — Jumpers, Trains, Pony Rides, Farm Animals
More Info:
— Free admission
— $ 10/​day parking with free shuttles from the parking lot to the festival
— Festival booths selling kites, candies, food, etc
This was our first time visiting the Annual Kite Festival in Berkeley. Although I knew about the Kite Festival long ago, I was not motivated to attend the event until I saw pictures of the magnificent kites that are flown here. I am so glad that we made it this time because we had a blast.
As we were on the freeway and driving close to the Cesar Chavez Park, we saw numerous, vibrant kites flying high against the clear blue sky. That was enough to get us excited! There are two parking lots, one at Marina and another at Golden Gate Fields. We parked the car at Marina and took the free shuttle to the festival grounds. The good thing is that the $ 10 parking fee goes to buying dictionaries for Berkeley school kids.
We saw all kinds of assorted shaped kites, such as fish, octopus, prism, roto-​box, lizard, dragon and many more that my memory does not recollect. Some of the highlights were the humongous puppy shaped kite, giant octopus kite, Nemo fish kite and Panda shaped kite.
It was fun watching little kids trying to fly their cute little kites. There is a ton of entertainment for the kids, in addition to flying kites. There were jumpers, pony rides and a kids train to take them around the park. There was also a small space for farm animals such as goat, chicken, duck, rabbits and kids were inside this little space petting the farm animals. I took the opportunity to pet a tiny rabbit, which has been and still is my personal favorite since I was a kid.
There were kite flying shows among novice kite flyers and it was amazing to see how they flew their kites in a procession. In addition, there are several festival booths, where one can amble and spend time. Some of the vendors were even giving away free ice-​cream samples to all and sundry.
We spent a good two hours here before taking the shuttle back to the parking lot. When we attend the kite festival next year, we are sure to best utilize the free kite flying and kite making classes offered at the festival. Several folks had even brought their tents to camp there the entire day. I fancy that idea!
Tips:
— Check out the timings for free kite flying and kite making classes if you are interested
— Bring your tents if you plan to stay here for the entire day because there is no shade at all
— Bring towels to spread on the grounds

Go fly a kite? Believe me, I’ve tried and failed, Charlie Brown! All of which makes Kite Day all the more fun!
Perched on the balcony of my home, using my spyglass, the sight of a zillion colorful kites filling the blue sky was marvelous! My dog, Walter, and I spent the afternoon enjoying the festival from afar.
Why not go to the festival? It is gets too crowed, there is no parking, the shuttle service sucks, and I know people mean well, but they can’t keep their hands off Walter. Three stars.
Plus, I enjoyed my libations in the privacy of my own home.

Went yesterday with the bf and had a very nice time. You will be surrounded with awesome kites and can watch some pretty cool tricks. There was a team of six guys who had 4 kites going at the same time. They had those kites making patterns, etc. while all in snyc! There was plenty of food, outdoor toilets that were clean and wash stations. I ate a hot dog — 5 bucks. Dale had a link dog — 7 bucks and the biggest we’d ever seen.
There were a good amount of vendors too and I bought a VERY cool hand made tye-​dyed t-​shirt with a heart on it. So don’t forget the vendors at the end of the vendor road for the best stuff and deals. You can also get Willy Wonka ice cream over on that side.
As for the parking, you can park at GG fields and be shuttled or pay 10 bucks and get alot closer so you don’t have to wait for the shuttle bus. Bring a chair if you can. I sat on my new t-​shirt in the bag for a cushion.
You will enjoy this festival, especially if you have kids — they were all happy little rugrats but please watch them. There were too many stray kids walking into people yet the dogs were in check!

Location, location, location. Larger than life kites with the fricking OCEAN and clear blue sky as a backdrop. Simply breathtaking… not to mention there were some beautifully vibrant kites of all shapes and sizes floating amongst them and being flown by enthusiasts of all ages and skill levels (the set up for a true family friendly event: D).
Looooved that they had different segments going on throughout the day and that it wasn’t just a bunch of random people flying kites. That wouldn’t have been bad either since I’m fairly easy to please when it comes to my mini Vi-​adventures, but it was nice. For the kiddies, they dropped candy from one of the large kites — kind of a piñata/​egg hunt type of situation. This was separated by age group, of course, so as not to get the smaller children trampled on. They also did this kite showdown where professional handlers would attempt to take down the kites of others in a last-​man-​standing competition. Exciting stuff for a dork like me.
In terms of the venders, it seemed like your generic county fair fare, but I have to say, I’m a sucker for that kind of stuff either way. Grabbed myself a turkey leg for $ 10 that everyone kept stopping me to ask about. Of course, there was the shaved ice, hot dogs, garlic fries, and even dry ice drinks as well as booths selling jewelry and/​or other nick nacks. Certainly enough things to eat and peruse through to keep ya busy.
BUT this festival falls just short of five stars and here’s why: the parking is pretty ridiculous. Although I was personally lucky enough to find a spot near the entrance almost immediately, I can’t say most people experienced what I did. Lines for the shuttles were insaaaaane.
Still, I think I’ll be back next year… and with my own kite! I just hope I don’t take anyone’s eye out: p

This was such a beautiful event. Vibrant and colorful kites in a variety of shapes and styles nicely decorated the sky. I was a first timer to the kite festival and I was not disappointed. The octopus kites were just so lovable. The kite ballet and battles were fun to watch.
Couple of tips for other first timers —
1. Arrive early if you could. Try to get here before 12 or you might be stuck in traffic and shuttle line for a really long time.
2. Dress warm and in layers. It is extremely windy but could also get quite hot around noon.
3. Bring your blanket, fold-​able chairs or something to sit on. It is a laid-​back event. If you are not flying a kite you will most likely be sitting on the grass staring at the sky.
4. Apply plenty of sunscreen and bring your sunglasses.
5. Bring some cash for food if you plan to eat there. There is an ATM machine but it is far from the food vendors.
6. Bring your kite and have fun!