Every year for a week in late August, the skies over Long Beach, Washington fill with flying sea creatures, pirates, UFO's, dragon's, and an unimaginable number of other colorful kites.
"Starting on Monday and ending on Sunday this Long Beach, Washington State vacation extravaganza boasts skies ablaze with color, highflying action and choreographed movement. Washington’s Kite Festival draws famous kite fliers from all around the world, and tens of thousands awed spectators, many of which participate in the fun with their own kite flying adventures." (From the kite festival website)
Riff was able to make it home this weekend, and even though he has to drive 8 hours home now, then 8 hours back to work on Sunday, he knew that I needed to get away for a few hours, so the two of us (yes, we actually got to spend some time together alone!), crossed the bridge to Washington. What an absolutely beautiful day it was for enjoying the kites on the beach.
This is the second time we've come up for the kite festival and it was just as jaw-dropping as the first time. You would be amazed at the shear number of kites in the air. Not only are there hundreds from the competitors, but many of the spectators are flying kites as well. So fun to watch. Next year, we're going to actually plan ahead, bring some chairs, a cooler, a good book, and a couple of kites, make a day of it.
This year we sat in the sand on the dunes and watched some of the Ballet competition. It's so incredible what these flyers can do with their kites. Beautiful stuff!
On the walk through the arch and to the beach, vendors are set up with all kinds of fun things to buy and incredible things to eat. I had a corn dog that tasted just like the fair. There were snowcones, elephant ears, cotton candy, handmade fudge, ice cream, Thai food, pulled pork, fajitas, hot dogs, polish sausages, burgers and curly fries to name a few. A fun, circus like atmosphere fills the air along with the gorgeous kites. It was a wonderful way to spend a beautiful August afternoon.
14 comments:
Gosh Paula, you just did a great PSA for the Kite Festival! So glad that you and Riff got to spend some quality time together and in such a fun spot. We were down there several times, mostly to eat..heeehee, but still enjoy all the flutterbyes!
I was never any good at flying a kite - it always nose dived into the ground. I love to watch them though. The colors, the characters and just the diversity of styles is wonderful, and what the kite flier can make that kite do. Fantastic. One of these years I will have to make it up to Long Beach, WA to see it in person.
Yvette
Paula-the kits are just amazingly beautiful!
WOW! Those kites are really awesome. Wishing there were something like that around here for the kids to see as they are both really gung-ho over kites. (Working on a 52x70 tablecloth -Christmassy design -cardinal sitting in branches on two inner corner of the center part with chicadees in branches on the outer corners and the side portions -really pretty. Just hope I don't muck it up now!!!)
What fun kites :-)
Its great that you had some special time alone together. Honey Bear only has a 3 1/2 hour drive each weekend but I still feel burdened about it.
Mama Bear
oh I love flying kites.. that looks like a fun time.
The ants are my friends and they're blowin' in the wind..the ants they are blowin in the wind
Oh what fun! My sweetheart and I really must go next year. Thanks for sharing your wonderful pictures so we could 'be there'. ~Adrienne~
That looks like a lot of fun. And pretty too. Great pictures, Paula.
It's nice to get away sometimes.
Wow! 8 hours to work. I'll bet your glad when he gets home on Friday night.
Absolutely amazing! We love Long Beach (and Astoria!) so we'll have to drive up one summer and go to the festival. Our favorite vacation is to drive the Oregon coast.
Thanks for stopping by my blog!
Wow, That is awsome!
I will have to go to this sometime.
I love the pictures of kites flying in the blue sky.
Oh, that looks like fun.
Wow.. a photographers dream. Wonderful shots and it looks like such a good time.
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