THUNDER BAY – Over a thousand people came out to Chippewa Park to enjoy the kite festival on Sunday.
Karen Kadolph, special events developer with the City of Thunder Bay, said there was a lot going on.
“We have kites flying, of course, and we have inflatables for people to come and use,” she said.
The City of Thunder Bay paid for the inflatables for people so they do not have to pay individually, Kadolph said.
Lots of community groups attended. There were bubble stations, face painting, outdoor games and Healthy Kids was offering programming.
Lots of food vendors attended and the rides are up and running, Kadolph said.
“People can just come out and enjoy Chippewa Park - have a picnic and fly a kite."
Kadolph said Sunday was a perfect day to fly a kite.
The City of Thunder Bay did not have professional kite flyers this year. However, they used that money to purchase over 200 kites to give away to the community.
“We’re just trying to make really inclusive community events that people can just come and participate in - instead of having to pay for different parts.”
Kadolph said the crowd started to come in around 10:45 a.m., which was awesome because they did not start until 11 a.m.
“It was really exciting to see everyone come out. These events are so important because they’re free community events. It’s nice to get people back together after the long pandemic.
“It’s so cool to make connections with people you haven’t seen in a while,” she said.
She encouraged people to come out to Chippewa Park this summer.
“There is always a lot of different things to do. The carousel is up and running, which is really exciting.”
There are a lot of other events coming up in Thunder Bay, she said.
“We have Canada Day on the waterfront. There is also the Teddy Bear’s Picnic on July 9 and live on the waterfront starts on July 17, which will be every Wednesday until the end of August.”
“Come out and enjoy these events,” Kadolph said.
