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Santa Barbara Kite Festival Announces 2023 Festival Theme And Date!

The theme and date has been announced for the 2023 Santa Barbara Kite Festival. The theme of this year’s family-friendly kite festival  is “Colors”. The 37th Santa Barbara Kite Festival will color the skies over the Great Meadow from 11am-4pm Sunday April 16th on the west campus lawn at  Santa Barbara City College.

      Festival Kite Master Rakesh Bahadur and Festival Director David Hefferman chose this year’s theme to celebrate the contributions and beauty festival goers bring to the event each year. Rakesh noted “It’s always amazing to us how many colors are added to the sky by entire families of kite flyers. Everyone is welcome.” David added “It’s our 37th festival. Several local festivals are of a similar age. We are honored to add more color this year to the legacy of festivals in our community.”

     Sure to generate more colors and laughter this April 16th, the “Childrens’ Tail Chase” features groups of kids divided into various age groups, chasing and trying to capture the tail of a kite expertly flown by Mr. Bahadur. The festival’s busy schedule is also packed with a number of family-friendly kite contests including “Most Beautiful” (handmade & commercial), “Highest Flying”, “Largest & Smallest Kites”, ”Youngest & Oldest Kite Flyers”, “Most Unique Or Unusual Kite”, “Funniest Kite”, and “Most Unflyable Kite”! And, the kite festival now awards “Best of Fest” -recognizing the best overall kite entry and participant of the day. Finally, the “Lions Award”, created in the memory of local legend Chad Dreier and his loving family-long time supporters of the festival , will be awarded to the person who makes the greatest contribution to the success of this year’s event. The festival is held each year in the “Great Meadow” on the west campus of Santa Barbara City College, 973 Cliff Drive, Santa Barbara, Ca 93109. Admission to the festival is free. Parking is available on both west campus and the main campus. Kites, food, and beverages can be purchased at the event.

       April is officially dubbed “Kite Month” in Santa Barbara, thanks to a 2007 proclamation by the Santa Barbara City Council. The Santa Barbara Kite Festival has also been recognized by the city for its annual contributions to community recreation and family fun.  Santa Barbara’s kite month of April is promoted in coordination with the National Kite Month of April – co-founded by the American Kite Flyers Association and the Kite Trade Association International .

    For more info, visit our website at www.sbkitefest.net and our facebook page/santabarbarakitefestival. For info about National Kite Month go to www.nationalkitemonth.org, and www.kite.org.  ###

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The Santa Barbara Kite Festival Returns Sunday April 10th to SBCC West Campus

Are you “Up” for the return of the Santa Barbara Kite Festival? The theme and date has been announced for the 2022 Santa Barbara Kite Festival! This year’s theme is “Up”. After a two year hiatus, the 36th Santa Barbara Kite Festival will return to the Great Meadows on Santa Barbara City College’s west campus 11am-4pm Sunday, April 10th, 2022.

      Festival organizers selected “Up” for this year’s theme as a positive statement of change in the community and return of the festival.

      Families and friends will definitely be up for the children’s kite tail chase featuring the master kite flying of Rakesh Bahadur. In addition, the festival will feature friendly competitions “Best of Fest”, “Best Ground Display”, “Youngest & Oldest Kite Flyers”, “Most Unique/Unusual Kite”, “Funniest Kite”, “Most Un-flyable Kite”, “Most Beautiful” (handmade & commercial), “Highest Flying”, “Largest & Smallest Kites”, and “Sport Flying”. Prizes will be awarded to all contest winners. The Great Meadows are located on the west campus of Santa Barbara City College, next to the Garvin Theatre at 721 Cliff Drive, Santa Barbara, Ca 93109. Admission to the festival is free. Parking is available on both west campus and the main campus. Kites, food, and beverages can be purchased at the festival. All current county health and safety protocols will in place at the event.

       Thanks to a 2007 City Council proclamation, the month of April is officially recognized as “Kite Month” in Santa Barbara. Santa Barbara’s kite month is promoted in coordination with the National Kite Month of April – co-founded by the American Kite Flyers Association and the Kite Trade Association International .

    For more info, visit our website at www.sbkitefest.net, our facebook page/santabarbarakitefestival. For info about National Kite Month go to www.nationalkitemonth.org, and www.kite.org.  

Our “Youngest & Oldest Kite Flyers” Winners April 2019

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The 2020 Santa Barbara Kite Festival Has Been Cancelled

The 35th annual Santa Barbara Kite Festival has been cancelled. Originally scheduled for Sunday April 19th 2020 in the Great Meadow on the west campus of Santa Barbara City College, the festival ran into the same fierce head winds now faced by the entire world. We are suspending this year’s festival in the interest of everyone’s health and well being. We will update you on the festival’s plans as they become available. Over the decades, we have seen families and friends grow up together at the kite festival. We are grateful for your love and support each year. Be well and take care of each other. Hopefully, with the wind at everyone’s back and smiles as bright as the sun,  the Santa Barbara Kite Festival will return on the second Sunday in April of next year.

Up! The Santa Barbara Kite Festival Returns this Sunday April 10th

Everyone is “Up” for the return of the Santa Barbara Kite Festival this Sunday! The 36th Santa Barbara Kite Festival is set to fly 11am-4pm this Sunday April 10th in the Great Meadow on the west campus lawn of Santa Barbara City College. This year’s festival theme “Up” was selected as a positive statement of change in the community and return of the festival after a two year hiatus.

     Sunday’s forecast for most sunny skies, light winds and cooler temperatures should be perfect for this fun family fly. Families and friends will definitely be up for the Children’s Kite Tail Chase featuring the master kite flying of Rakesh Bahadur. The festival will also feature friendly competitions: “Best of Fest”, “Best Ground Display”, “Youngest & Oldest Kite Flyers”, “Most Unique/Unusual Kite”, “Funniest Kite”, “Most Un-flyable Kite”, “Most Beautiful” (handmade & commercial), “Highest Flying”, “Largest & Smallest Kites”, and “Sport Flying”. Prizes will be awarded to all contest winners. The Great Meadows are located on the west campus of Santa Barbara City College, next to the Garvin Theatre at 721 Cliff Drive, Santa Barbara, Ca 93109. Admission to the festival is free. Parking is available on both west campus and the main campus. Kites, food, and beverages can be purchased at the festival. All current state and county health and safety protocols will in place at the event.

       Thanks to a 2007 City Council proclamation, the month of April is officially recognized as “Kite Month” in Santa Barbara. Santa Barbara’s kite month is promoted in coordination with the National Kite Month of April – co-founded by the American Kite Flyers Association and the Kite Trade Association International .

    For more info, visit our website at www.sbkitefest.net, our facebook page/santabarbarakitefestival, or call 805-637-6202. For info about National Kite Month go to www.nationalkitemonth.org, and www.kite.org.