May 8th & 9th, 2010
Every Mothers' Day weekend, Marina State Beach and the Gloria Jean Tate Park in Marina become the brightest spots on the Monterey Bay with the annual Festival of the Winds, celebrating the air currents that make Marina a popular destination for hang gliders and kite-flyers alike. Colorful kites and hang gliders are launched from sandy dunes by the hundreds, and families gather for two days of crafts and fun at this free celebration. Return to this page in a few weeks to see the full schedule.
A popular destination for hang gliding, Marina State Beach will host steeple chase format hang gliding competitions on Saturday and Sunday (winds permitting). Watch the best hang gliders around demonstrate their astounding skills in the air! If you're a hang glider with a competitive edge, sign up at the beach.
Always wanted to go up into the clouds yourself? There will be tandem hang gliding demonstrations and hang gliding rides for those with a taste for adventure! If you want to know what it would be like to go up on your own, Glorya Jean Tate Park will host a free hang gliding simulator and mini hang gliding lessons on both days.
Children can build their own kites at the kite-making workshop on Saturday at Glorya Jean Tate Park. The kite competition immediately following will allow them to test their creations. Professional kite flyers will show off their skills throughout the weekend with a series of kite demonstrations, and you're sure to see some giant kites being shown off over the weekend.
For those who prefer to ride the waves instead of the air currents, there will be a skim boarding competition at Marina State Beach.
Of course, a festival themed around air must have air-filled bounce houses for children to play in. The Marina Festival of the Winds will have four of them!
Your children can have fun learning with the wind-related science projects led throughout the weekend by the National Weather Service. They can also unleash their creative sides by building wind-related crafts such as wind chimes.
You won't go home from the Marina International Festival of the Winds empty-handed — or with an empty stomach! Food vendors at Glorya Jean Tate Park have both local specialties and traditional fair favorites. Other vendors will supply you with that perfect wind-themed trinket to take home.
The official Marina International Festival of the Winds website has an online schedule that is continually updated. Check it regularly for the latest information.
Glorya Jean Tate Park and Marina State Beach are both directly off the Reservation Road exit of Highway One. Marina State Beach is west of the exit, while Glorya Jean Tate Park is east of the exit.
Monterey County Convention & Visitors Bureau P.O. Box 1770, Monterey, CA 93942 1-877-MONTEREY info@mccvb.org
In partnership with Monterey County and the cities of Carmel-by-the-Sea, Del Rey Oaks, Marina, Monterey, Pacific Grove, Salinas,
Sand City, Seaside, Soledad, Pebble Beach, Moss Landing, Carmel Valley, Big Sur, and Salinas Valley.
© Copyright 2009 Monterey County Convention & Visitors Bureau
