Art and Wind Festival returns

Kites, vendors, and music coming this weekend

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Dannika Shah

A girl and her father fly a kite on a field at Central Park, where the Art and Wind Festival will be held this weekend.

San Ramon’s highly anticipated Art and Wind Festival is returning on Sunday and Monday after the annual event was shut down the past two years because of COVID-19.

The festival will be hosted on both days from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Central Park. San Ramon’s city-hosted festival features food vendors, crafts, and fine arts. There will also be three stages around the park with six headlining musicians, three per day, according to the San Ramon website. 

The festival also will feature kite flying demonstrations from professionals and a workshop where people can make and fly their own kites. Organizations such as the Boy Scouts are also fund-raising at the event.

“We will be selling pre-made Jamba Juice as well as candies and other confections,” said junior Daniel Finnegan, who is part of Boy Scout Troop 834.

Other organizations such as San Ramon Valley Community Interact will be selling freshly made boba tea in order to raise money for the club.

“We bought powders for the milk teas,” Interact vice president Rheeya Chakraborty said. “At the booth, we’re going to cook the boba fresh.”

Around 100 booths dedicated to art and craft vendors will be present at this festival, San Ramon recreation supervisor Adam Chow said.

“There are a wide variety of booths that sell beautifully hand-crafted items including paintings, photographs, jewelry, clothing, pottery, toys, kites, and more,” Chow said. 

Music will also be a main attraction of the festival, as musicians will be performing on three stages. 

The six headlining groups are steel drum band Pan Exstasy, Pacific Standard, an Americana and Modern Vintage group, soul and R&B band East Bay Mudd, jazz and swing band Lady K & the Kings of Swing, dance band Mercy & the Heartbeats, and The Freshmakers, a party band, according to the city website.

The Art and Wind Festival also features a kid-zone dedicated to rides, workshops, and games made for the little ones. This includes spin art, candle art, face painting, and the kite-making workshop. 

“Younger kids love the kite-making workshop,” Chow said.

Though the kite making workshop was designed for kids, anyone can make a kite to fly alongside the professionals. Many Cal students will also be attending to experience the nice weather and festivities.

“I am going to the festival to spend time in the sun with my friends while taking in the culture of our community,”  junior Nandhini Sundar said.

Other highlights include performances from Cal High’s pep rally band, presentations from professional skateboarders and scooter riders, and demonstrations by the San Ramon PD and San Ramon Valley Fire Protection District of the jaws of life and hands-on CPR, and police K-9 units.

Tractors from Forest Home Farms and the Mobile Visitors Center from East Bay Regional Park District also will be on hand. A tethered hot air balloon and a helicopter landing will also be featured, Chow said.