Summer Winds Kite Festival Kiter Information Page

Welcome to the Summer Winds Information Page for Kiters. This is the place to get the inside scoop for what, where, when and how of the Summer Winds Kite Festival. We all know the why. ;) Hopefully there is enough information here without being too much. If you have questions, queries, posers, or suggestions for more content, rattle my cage.

What: Summer Winds Kite Festival

Where: Fort Tabor/Fort Rodman, 1000C S Rodney French Blvd, New Bedford, MA 02744. Google Maps For what it's worth, the easiest way to the Park is to come south from I-195 Exit 15 on JFK Memorial Highway to Cove Street. Turn left on to Cove Street, and it will become E. Rodney French Blvd. Follow E. Rodney French Blvd until you see the entrance to the Park straight ahead.

When: Saturday, July 27, 10 AM to 6 PM. Rain date is the next day.

The Festival is officially from 10 to 6. Gary should be there between 6 AM and 7 AM. Most kiters will want to be there between 8 and 9 AM.

How: The big picture is that we cannot have vehicles on the field. We can, however, drive in and drop off wherever people want to set up camp. The road is the perimeter of the primary flying area. There will be a 200' by 200' foot Presentation Field (Hi Kurtis ... ) roped off in the center of the large primary flying area. There is as much area to fly on either side of the Presentation Field. We can try to encourage Public Flying in certain areas.

The FIELD: We are flying on the south side of Fort Rodman. It is a large area, surrounded on 3-1/2 sides by water. Said another way, we will have smooth wind from almost 300 degrees of the compass. It might get a little bumpy if the wind comes directly over the Fort. The Fort is not high enough to cause a significant wind shadow.

Drop Off: Maggie will be the Guardian at the Gate for Drop Off. All cars should be off the Festival Area by 9 AM. Maggie will not admit anyone after that time.

The route to the field will be marked. STAY OFF THE GRASS! Check the wind & weather and pick a location that works best for you, up-wind or down-wind.

Pick-Up: We can drive in and pack gear after 6 PM.

Parking: The lot that is closest to the flying field charges for parking. It costs $2 an hour or $10 for the day. Handicapped parking is free, if and only if the vehicle has a plate or a placard, and is parked in a marked Handicapped spot. FREE PARKING is available for the first 20 Kite People cars that show up. Maggie will have 20 Parking Passes that will allow Free Parking in the South Lot of the Beach Parking.

If you decide to pay to park, it works just like Ocean City, MD. Find the Pay Kiosk, pay there, take the receipt, display the receipt on the dashboard of your vehicle. The Parking Pay Kiosk is in the corner of the parking lot closest to the Sherman Tank that has the word "Tiger" on it that you pass on the way in.

FACILITIES: There is one, count it, one Rest Room. It is 980 feet from the flying field. So, plan ahead. This ain't Jockey's Ridge, but it is close. Hey, at least it is flat. Mostly ... The Rest Room is located straight across the Parking Lot from the Pay Kiosk.

FLYING: There is a sprinkler system on the field. The Town has said that they will mark off where the pipes are for those of us who want to stake kites.

At this point, the thought is to keep everything open except the Presentation Field. If anyone thinks that we should rope off an area for 'serious' kites, let me know, and we will try to make it happen.

MAPS: The first map is a general overview of the entire venue. The Free Parking for Kiters is marked on the map. It is 1,980 feet from the flying field, so the most able-bodied person in your party should be the one to park the car. Everything outside the dotted line is water. Scroll farther down for more maps.

The map below has more detail.

Last map, showing the Drive in - Drop Off route. The arrows indicate DIRECTION only.

KEEP OFF THE GRASS.

15 MPH.

.