With one of the most popular events to happen in the Moreton Bay area of Redcliffe, the Redcliffe Kite festival saw a massive turnout over the two days. With many market stalls, areas for the young kids, a Carnival for young and old, a massive kite flying arena and live stunt shows by the water, Pelican Park was transformed into an exciting action packed area ready to excite every member of the family. But who am I kidding it was the ultimate kids weekend.

Flight Path

Leaving Brisbane and heading to Redcliffe is really simple, just a quick 35 min drive from Brisbane’s CBD will see you on the Ted Samout Memorial Bridge. With water appearing on both sides of you, just on the other side of the bridge is your destination.
Leaving Brisbane, you’ll want to get onto the gateway motorway (M1) and head north towards the Sunshine Coast. Around 20km along the Gateway Motorway stay in your right- hand lanes and look for exit 122 this will put you onto Deagon Deviation (26) and the sight of the beautiful waters of Morton Bay is just 10 min away.

Arriving on the other side of the bridge you might be able to see the kites in the air and with traffic getting a bit busier you know you are heading in the right direction. Look for the signs that can get you onto Hornibrook Esplanade this will take you to the festival. Parking can be pretty difficult if you are not heading there super early in the morning. There are two options for parking. The first and simpler way was parking at the show grounds and with a free, regular shuttle bus this was the easiest method but you could also get lucky with parks found on the streets but later through the day I wouldn’t hold my breath.

On Arrival

Heading toward the entry of the festival I would recommend on buying your tickets on line. This will help your eager awaiting children get in quicker to see some of their favorites on main stage and be amazed by the kites that have come to the festival. With the events on the program being really well laid out it gave a good amount of time to get around the grounds and see everything the festival has to offer. Depending on what you have decided as your main attraction that you would like to see, I would keep an eye on the time if you don’t want to miss seeing one of the jet ski stunt shows. There is an announcement over the speakers to remind people when it is on but I would get there at least 20 min before the show. This can give you some time to have a sit-down and a bite to eat and make sure you get a good spot to see the demonstration. As the show comes closer to starting, the shore line along the Cleanaway ocean zone becomes very crowded and it could be hard to see the action if left too late.

If food is on your mind there are many stalls with plenty to choose from, from hot dogs, Mexican, Indian and dessert stalls to finish it all off… if you have the room for it. There are a lot of tables and chairs on both sides of the kite flying arena and the main stage has live shows such as Trolls alive and Paw Patrol happening all day. Another good idea is to bring a picnic blanket and find a nice quiet place under some trees in the park. This is a good idea for large families or if you have gone with a group.

I would recommend eating before the lunch time rush comes in, with lines becoming quite long, waiting in the sun cannot be too much fun and it is good to have lunch over and done with before the Yak52 Aerobatic Display starts. Even though this show can be seen from around the whole ground, it is best to once again be by Cleanaway Ocean Zone to see some amazing aerobatic displays by this old plane and its pilot. This is a short display, and I’ll give you a hint when looking out onto beautiful Moreton Bay look to your right down the shoreline to get the first glimpse of the plane as it flies in. With the aerobatic display over, and your food has settled in your tummy the afternoon can be filled with going on some of the rides at the KiteFest Karnival section or head to KiteFest Kidz zone where there is plenty to do to tire out the kids for the drive home. With attractions such as jumping castles, pony rides and a public kite fly zone I’m sure there will be enough entertainment to make you have to carry your kids back to the car.

Tricks and Tips

With so much to do and see at the Redcliffe Kite Festival it is easy to spend the whole day there and with the car being so far away it is definitely recommended to bring a bag with a few essential things in it. First and foremost a hat and sunscreen or everyone traveling with you, it is a long day in the sun and the heat can get to you after a while. I would recommend bringing a water bottle and with a Hydration station near the entry you can fill up your water bottles as much a s you like, this I thought was a very good idea for an event that is out doors. You are able to bring your own kites from home and as I said before if you have room bring a picnic blanket this will allow you to stop and be comfortable where ever you find some shade. As there are constantly new kites being flown up and down in the Kite Flying Arena, and as the day goes on you might notice them getting bigger and bigger. I would keep a good eye on your children as the gaps in the fence are just big enough to let your curious children through and onto the arena grounds.

I hope this article has given a good insight into a day spent at the Redcliffe Kite Festival. Even though it might be an ultimate kids weekend I think we all turn back into a kid again at some point over the weekend. It is definitely hard to snap back into reality as you leave the grounds and see the last glimpse of the kites being flown over head, but this last sight is the one that makes you can’t wait to be a kid again next year..