Catch some good inflation

at the Lincoln City Fall Kite Festival

The beaches of Lincoln City are lovely, long and often quite flat, but also have seasonal winds that can rip the beach towel right out of your hands. Leaning in and making lemons out of lemonade, the city hosts two kite festivals each year. Returning after a two-year hiatus, the 41st annual Fall Kite Festival will fill the skies with brilliant shapes and colors for two days of kite-flying activities this Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 1 and 2.

The Fall Kite Festival is an event like no other — with exciting kite demonstrations by featured fliers, a parade and of course the colorful, giant kites floating high above.

Held on the beach at the D River State Recreation Site, the event also has free kite-making workshops where you can make your own paper kite that flies, plus Pixiefest games by Kiwanis Club of Lincoln City with entries by donation.

A brand new feature of the festival are tours of the big kite field. For the first time ever, visitors will be able to get up close to the big kites and hear from the professional fliers who do their best to control them. 

Started in 1979 by Steve Lamb, who opened his kite shop Catch the Wind that same year, the Fall Kite Festival is the original Lincoln City wind-harnessing event.

Overflow parking is available at the Lincoln City Community Center and Lincoln City Outlets, with free shuttle service running continuously from both locations during both days of the festival.

The Fall Kite Festival is open on both days from 10 am to 4 pm. For more information, go to oregoncoast.org

Festival schedule

10 am: Announcements. festival opening performance.

10 am to 2 pm: Free kite-making workshop.

10 to 11 am: Performances by featured fliers

11 to 11:20 am: Kite flier memorial.

11:30 to 12:30 pm: Performances by featured fliers.

12:30 to 1 pm: Guided tours on the field, meet the kite fliers.

1 to 4 pm: Performances by featured fliers.

2 to 2:30 pm: Guided tours on the field, meet the kite fliers.

4 pm: Festival closes.

All day: Pixiefest carnival games.