On October 21, California State Parks, Parks California and the San Francisco Parks Alliance hosted the inaugural “Kite the Bay” festival at Candlestick Point State Recreation Area (SRA). This 252-acre park offers picnicking, trails for running and walking, fishing access and beautiful views of the San Francisco Bay and the old Hunters Point Navy Shipyard. It was also the first urban park in the California State Park system and is the only state park in San Francisco.
Over 750 people from the neighboring community came out to this beautiful shoreline park to fly and decorate kites, soak up the sunshine, listen to DJ Beatsme play old skool funk on the turntables, and enjoy delicious local cuisine from Afro Street Sizzle and Sukulenta SF. Local organizations like Literacy for Environmental Justice, Chaulk SF, and Little Ghetto Garden offered tabling opportunities. And young people from Outlandish!, a local nonprofit that helps LGBTQIA+ youth spend time in nature, joined the kite fest after spending the morning on the pier learning how to fish with park staff.
Children ran around with string in their hands, pulling their self-decorated kites as they floated through the air. Smiles were beaming and giggles could be heard all over the field. It was truly a beautiful day at Candlestick Point SRA, a hidden gem and wonderful place to bring family and friends.
Since 2021, Parks California has been working alongside Candlestick Point SRA staff to bring local community to the park through various programs and events like the Kite the Bay festival. Art and fishing programs are some of the popular activities held here and are offered monthly. We offer these programs to visitors for free thanks to the help of our generous donors.
Photo credit: Veronica Silva-Miranda and Kailen Swain
